Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings
by Halvax
Summary: Ever wondered what would happened if Artemis met Percy Jackson instead of Orion, all those years back? What if Percy was born in ancient times, and stumbled upon Artemis? Join Perseus as he strives to prove himself, woo Artemis and be the greatest hero ever. Will he live happily ever after, or end up in the stars after Artemis kills him?
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I came up with story when I came across a very interesting question. The question being:**_

_**If Artemis met Percy Jackson instead of Orion all those centuries ago, would she be the same man hating godess she is?**_

_**The question got me thinking, and this is the conclusion that I came up with. Enjoy!**_

_**~Halvax**_

_**Summary:**_

_**Ever wondered what would happened if Artemis met Percy Jackson instead of Orion, all those years back? What if Percy was born in ancient times, and stumbled upon Artemis? Join Perseus as he strives to prove himself, woo Artemis and be the greatest hero ever. Will he live happily ever after, or end up in stars after Artemis kills him?**_

_**Notes and Warnings:**_

_**1. This is Pertemis. Don't like? Don't read. But I suggest you keep an open mind. This won't be a mindless love story centered around Percy and Artemis making out.**_

_**2. Pertemis will be gradual, as I don't like it when things are taken too fast. They will first start off as friends and will proceed from there.**_

_**3. Artemis and her hunters won't come in until future chapters, so be patient. I want to build up the story and other characters first.**_

_**4. This is an AU. So expect a tiny bit of justified OCCness.**_

_**5. The POVs will mostly Percy's, Artemis' or third person, unless necessary.**_

_**5. This is a fiction based loosely off of the different myths. I will try to stick as close as possible to the originals, but the time lines are different, to fit the story. You'll see what I mean.**_

_**6. I will try to update as soon as possible, but with school starting soon, no promises.**_

_**7. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Please Follow, fave, and review.**_

_**8. The most important note: I DO NOT OWN PJO OR THE CHARACTERS. IT ALL BELONGS TO THE AMAZING AUTHOR RICK RIORDAN.**_

* * *

**The Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings**

**Prologue: The birth of the sea's eldest child**

**Third Person's POV**

Poseidon the lord of the seas was pacing back and forth in anticipation. The sand under his sandals shuffled and his foot prints made their mark on the beach. Today is the day, the god thought. The day that his first ever demigod son was to be born. He was impatienly waiting for the birth to be over and done with. You could tell that the soon to be father was anxious, as the sea mirrored his emotions perfectly.

The sea was currently restless. Huge waves were crashing against the shores of Crete. The sea looked like it could explode in nervousness. Which was exactly what Poseidon was thinking.

This is his first born. He did not know what to expect. He has never had any experience with children. Sure, he had children with other immortals, but never with a mortal. He knew that this child would be special. Not as powerful as his soon to be born child with Amphitrite, but close.

Since this was his first ever halfblood, this would be his most powerful, if he ever chose to sire more.

"It is done, my lord." a woman who was helping with his child's birth informed him. The god stopped his pacing and ran into the secluded house that was some distance away from the city.

Inside the house were three women. The lady that called him, the woman that delivered his son and the love of his life, Sally, princess of Crete.

Poseidon first laid eyes on Sally when he was taking a walk on the very same beach that the house stood on. He was trying to take his mind off the competition that he was having with Athena.

He was furious with the people of Athens for choosing Athena's stupid plant over his marvelous spring. Sally, who was trying to savor her break from being the princess of Crete, saw Poseidon. Although she didn't know at that time who he truly was, she managed to convince him not to do anything rash like flooding the city of Athens, for an argument that has been going on for centuries.

From that time on, they spent more time with each other. Her comforting and preventing him from doing things that he might regret later on, and him providing an escape from the life of being royalty for her.

Their friendship grew to something more, over the years. When they found out that Sally was pregnant, they agreed that they would keep the baby a secret. The discorvery of the baby would be disastrous.

If Zeus found out that Poseidon had a child, he would be furious. Zeus had convinced (forced), him to marry Amphitrite, the daughter of Oceanus to secure the loyalty of the titan, should a war ever occur again.

King Minos, Sally's father, has also arranged for her to marry a prince of Athens. At first Poseidon was completly against this and threatened to kill Minos, Athens being the city of his rival. Even though Sally loathed her father, she still considered him family, so she begged Poseidon to reconsider which he did, eventually.

Prince Gabriel and Sally got married a few weeks after the baby was conceived. King Minos believed that Sally was in Athens giving birth to his grandson. Only Poseidon, Sally and her two sisters knew of the baby.

"How is she, Andromeda?" Poseidon asked worriedly. "Sally is fine. She waiting for you. The delivery was smooth and successful. As for the baby, take a look for yourself." Andromeda said as the sister gingerly handed him the baby. The baby boy had his jet black hair and Sally's mouth and slightly tanned skin.

But the feature that screamed son of the sea, were his eyes. They were sea green similar to the sea god's but they also held kindness that the princess of Crete was famous for. Tears were rolling down the proud father's eyes as he stared at his child and walked over to his lover.

"What should we name him, my love?" he asked the woman who was lying down on the bed with a wide and caring smile plastered on her face. Sally had lush dark brown locks with soft and kind brown eyes.

"Perseus. Perseus is the name that I want my child to bear." she said after some thought. "Alright. Perseus it is. From this day forth, young Perseus shall be the name of the sea's first child. Being my first born, he shall be very powerful. As he matures, his control over my domain will increase. He has my full blessing." Poseidon decreed.

A sea green light encased the infant, and after a few moments, disappeared. "Thank you my love. I am sure it will help as Perseus is sure to experience many difficulties in life." Sally said.

The new parents enjoyed each other's company and discussed their plans for Perseus.

"As much as I wish he could stay in Atlantis, Amphitrite will have a fit if she finds him." Poseidon said sorrowfully.

"It's alright. He will live with me in Crete. Gabriel already thinks that this is his son. I will make sure he learns how to defend himself. You can always visit him secretly. But I will tell him who his real father is. He has the right to know you." Sally said.

"I am sorry that I cannot do anymore for you or Perseus. But I will bless you. May no god cause direct harm to you." Poseidon apologised. Sally kissed his cheek and said, "I do not blame you, my love. I know that if you could have your way then you would spend more time with him. Alas, the Fates are cruel. You should get going. Your brother might find you, and my father expects me to return before nightfall. I hope I will see you soon. And thank you for the blessing."

"I promise I will visit as often as possible. Remember that I am always watching. If you are ever in danger, go to the sea and I will do my best to help. I love both you and our son dearly, never forget that. Goodbye for now." He said and kissed the infant's forehead and his lover's lips.

"I love you too." Sally replied.

With that, Poseidon disappeared leaving a faint scent of sea breeze.

* * *

**The next day, in Crete-**

"Is that him? Is this my first grandchild?" King Minos said with a hint of disgust. He had expected something more. He expected the infant to be more heroic looking. This baby was suppose to be the prince that unites the thrones of Crete and Athens. The boy in his hands, was small, slightly plump and did not look like much of a leader much less a prince.

Although Sally was his first born, she had always been his least favourite among her daughters. She was much to kind hearted for his taste. He had spent alot of effort on bribing, ahem, convincing, the king of Athens to allow his daughter to marry his son.

Prince Gabriel was sly, greedy and power hungry. The perfect traits of a king, in Minos' opinion. The baby he held, did not look like he inherited any of those. The boy showed kindness, caring, understanding and loving features. Those things show weakness, not leadership.

No matter, Minos thought to himself, he had plenty of time to change the boy. He allowed himself a sly grin. "Sally," Minos called the attention of his disgraceful firstborn.

"Yes, my lord." Sally said keeping her head down. She was scared that her father noticed thar the Perseus looked nothing like his supposed father.

"What is his name?" Minos asked. "Perseus, milord."Sally answered fearfully.

After some thought he said, "No. Perseus does not sound heroic enough. If my grandson is to have a name, it should sound heroic. From now on his name is Orion. Also, I do not want anyone outside of the palace to know about him being my grandson. He is a disgrace, and unless I deem him heroic enough, his real identity will remain hidden. I want another grandson, someone more heroic."

Sally was angry that her father changed her son's name. She was also angry that he thought Perseus was not a hero. But she knew better than to talk back, so she held her tongue.

"As you wish, milord." she grumbled.

Satisfied with his daughter's answer, he said,"Good. Now get him out of my sight, until he is a hero. Go to your husband and stay there until I have a grandson worthy of me. I want him to be the very definition of Hero. Understood?"he didn't even wait for an answer before giving her a dismissive wave, signalling the end of their discussion.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**This is fairly short as it is just a prologue. The up coming chapters will definitely be much longer. Until next time! ^_^**_

_**~Halvax**_


	2. Fathers and Foundations

**_Author's Note:_**  
**_Happy 2014, guys! And to usher in this new year, here is a new chapter! Thank you to every single person who followed/faved/reviewed. Tomorrow, is the official first day of school for me, unfortunately, so if I am not able to update regularly, sorry. Enjoy!_**

**_~Halvax_**

**_Notes and Warnings:_**  
**_1. This is Pertemis. Don't like? Don't read. But I suggest you keep an open mind. This won't be a mindless love story centered around Percy and Artemis making out._**  
**_2. Pertemis will be gradual, as I don't like it when things are taken too fast. They will first start off as friends and will proceed from there._**  
**_3. Artemis and her hunters won't come in until future chapters, so be patient. I want to build up the story and other characters first._**  
**_4. This is an AU. So expect a tiny bit of justified OCCness._**  
**_5. The POVs will mostly Percy's, Artemis' or third person, unless necessary._**  
**_6. This is a fiction based loosely off of the different myths. I will try to stick as close as possible to the originals, but the time lines are different, to fit the story. You'll see what I mean._**  
**_7. I will try to update as soon as possible, but with school starting soon, so no promises._**  
**_8. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Please Follow, fave, and review._**  
**_9. The most important note: I DO NOT OWN PJO OR THE CHARACTERS. IT ALL BELONGS TO THE AMAZING AUTHOR RICK RIORDAN._**

* * *

**Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings  
Chapter 1: Fathers and Foundations**

**Third Person POV**  
**4 years later...**

It has been four years since Sally and Perseus was kicked out of her father's palace and shipped of to Athens, to live with Gabriel. Four years since Perseus' name was changed to Orion.

Gabriel has been a pain in the neck since the day the mother and son moved in to his palace. Since Minos didn't want people to know that Sally's son was not the 'heroic type', the pair's cover story, was that they were Gabriel's slaves. He expected them to clean and provide him money for his nightly trips to the various brothels in the city.

His father cut his funds as he spent to much, so Sally had no choice but to get a job at the local bakery. No one in Athens knew of the Cretian princess' true identity. She also taught Perseus, as Gabriel did not allow him to go to school. The young boy matured fast for his age.

Poseidon visited every two months in the guise of Perseus' long lost uncle. He gave him gifts and provided him company.

"Is uncle Nereus coming today, mommy?" Perseus asked eagerly. Perseus liked his uncle alot. Although he was only his uncle, Perseus considered Nereus more of a father than Gabriel.

"Yes he is Percy. He will come after you finish your lessons, while I work at the shop." Sally informed his son.

"What about Smelly Gabe? Where is he gonna be?" he asked with fear. When he was just learning to talk, he could not say Gabriel properly so he stuck with Gabe.

"That's cute honey. But don't call him that unless you want to get beat up again." Sally joked. Percy visibly flinched when his mother said beat him. Even though he was young, Gabe mercilessly beat him up every chance he got.

Percy's flinch didn't go unoticed. Sally croutched to her son's level. "Did he beat you again?" she said concerned. Percy shook his head wildly. If he told his mom, then Gabe would beat her. And he couldn't stand it when his mother got hurt.

"Alright. If you say so, then I trust you. Anyway, he won't be back until next week. He went to visit his sister in Sparta." she ruffled her beloved son's hair.  
A loud knock came from the door. "That would be Nereus. I'll leave now, so no funny business, ok?" Percy nodded and gave her a crooked smile. Sally kissed his forehead and took off to answer the door.

"Sally! It's so good to see you!" Nereus said the moment the door opened. He planted a kiss on his lover's cheek and she blushed. "Same to you Nereus. Now what did I say about PDA? What if people see?" she muttered the last part.

'Nereus' rubbed the back of his head sheepily and apologised. "Uncle!" Perseus shouted while running full speed toward his favourite uncle. He jumped into 'Nereus' open arms. "Its great to see you too my boy. Head inside while I talk to your mother for a while, ok?" he said.

Perseus nodded eagerly and ran deeper into the palace. When he left, Poseidon pulled Sally closer and kissed her passionately. After a minute, Sally broke the kiss, breathless. "It's good to see you too Poseidon." she smirked. He laughed, the sea god missed Sally dearly. Although Amphitrite is nice, she had nothing on Sally, in his opinion. Poseidon wanted nothing more than to stay with his first love and make their family grow. But being the loyal person that he is, he didn't want to leave Amphitrite and the new baby they had afew months after Perseus was born.

He turned serious and said, "Have you decided?" Sally let out a sigh and said, "Yes. I plan to tell him today. He is maturing faster than any boy his age. He will understand. And I have decided to let Chiron start teaching him a month from now, a week after his fifth birthday. I will tell Gabriel that I have sent Perseus off to find work."

"Do you want me to be there when you tell him?" Poseidon asked, concerned. "Are you fine with staying? Don't you have your duties in Atlantis?" Sally asked. "Nope. I have the whole day off. Delphin is covering for me. And I would love to be there when you tell him his true parentage." Poseidon answered.

"Alright. I will see both of you later. Try not to break anything. That goes for both of you." She said and rushed out the door. He chuckled and went to find his favourite son.

* * *

**Later that day...**

"I'm home!" Sally called from the door, carrying a large bag of pasteries that she brought back from the store.

"Mommy! You're home!" Perseus shouted gleefuly, running to meet his mother."Did you get anything for me?" he asked hopefully. She laughed and said, "Take this bag to the kitchen and see." Perseus took the bag, kissed his mother's cheek and ran past his 'uncle' on the way to the kitchen.

"Welcome home, my love." Poseidon whispered, and pecked her lips. "Let's go see what our son is up to."

They walked hand in hand slowly through the halls of the castle. The castle is not all that big. It only had one floor and only a few rooms. It had a small garden and a small stable. It also had a small ballroom that has never been used. There were no other servants as Gabriel had no money to pay, instead, he makes his wife and 'son' maintain his home.

In the kitchen, Perseus was divouring his third blue cookie. "Slow down, my boy. And save some for me." Poseidon said. Sally rolled her eyes at her love's childish ways.

After the family had their fill, Sally looked at the lord of seas, signalling that it was time. He nodded in understanding. He cleared his throat and said, "Perseus, your mother and I need to talk to you." Perseus raised an eyebrow. His uncle never calls him his full name unless it was serious. It was always Percy or my boy. The last time 'Nereus' called him Perseus was last year, when he purposely broke Gabriel's antique vase. So he sat up straighter and waited to see what he had done wrong.

"Perseus your mother and I are going to tell you a secret. A big secret that you can never tell anyone else unless either one of the two tell you other wise. Understand?" Poseidon asked with a tone that left no room for argument.

The four year old nodded slowly. This must be a big secret he thought. Sally took a deep breath and said, "Percy, you have to know that if this secret gets out then your life will be in more danger than it already is."

"What do you mean by already is?" he asked puzzled. "Tell me Perseus, who are you?" Poseidon asked his son.

Percy knew this. His mother has drilled him with this question since he was young. He memorised the answer that he was taught from a young age. "I am Orion, son of Gabriel, prince of Athens. I am the first grandson of King Minos of Crete. I am the prince that will unite the thrones of Crete and Athens." He said, albeit unsure. He never felt right about being called the son of Gabriel.

"That is half correct." Poseidon said. Percy again raised an eyebrow. "Your real title is Perseus, son of Sally, princess of Crete. You are also the son of Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, Earthshaker and Stormbringer. You my child are the Prince of Atlantis, second in line to the thrones of Crete and Atlantis." Poseidon said.

At first Perseus was shocked then he was skeptical then he was sad. "If my father really is Poseidon, why does he never visit? Am I not good enough to be his son? Do I bring shame to him, like I bring shame to grandfather Minos? I would much rather be your son, uncle, than be the son of a god who has no time for me." He said, on the brink of tears.

"You didn't let him finish Percy. You know your father much more than you think. He is in this very room right now." Sally said in a kind and soothing tone. It took a few minutes for Percy to put two and two together. When he did, his jaw dropped, and his eyes threatened to fall out of their sockets.

His parents laughed at the child's hilarious expression. "Fa-father?" Percy asked cautiously. "Yes, son?" Poseidon said with a smirk.

At first Percy was silent, still unable to get over the fact that he was the son of a god. His mother taught him all about them, and how they would get together with mortals. He also could not believe that Gabe was not his father.

"Daddy!" Percy finally said and ran into Poseidon's strong, tanned arms. "Yes son. I am your father. But remember, do not tell others. It is not that I am not proud of you, because I am. I cannot ask for a better son. But if people know of your true parentage, you and your mother will both be in danger. Do you understand?" Poseidon said.

"Yes father."Percy happily said. Poseidon beamed at his child. "Although I would love for you to be the heir to my throne, it cannot happened. Not even Zeus knows what will happened to Atlantis if Amphitrite were to find out that Triton is not the heir to the throne. She loves him more than anything in the world. She might destroy the city, or worse, ally with her father and wage war on Olympus.

And I cannot allow that to happened. The first Titan war just passed afew centuries ago and Olympus' forces are still weak. We cannot afford another war so soon. For that, I am sorry." Poseidon stated.

"It's fine, dad. I don't want to rule anyway. Besides, the only reason you will really need an heir is because you are dying, and that will never happened. I'm just happy that you're my daddy and not Smelly Gabe." Perseus replied happily.

"Thank you Percy. You are truly your mother's son. I must go now. I still have my duties as king of Atlantis. But I will return soon. I will need to teach you how to control your developing powers. Goodbye Percy, Sally." the king of the seas said.

With one last hug for the two people he cherished most in the world, he faded into mist, leaving a faint scent of the sea.

* * *

**A month later...**

A loud knock came from the door of Prince Gabe's Castle. The said prince was currently in his room, suffering the consequenses of last night's drinking escapades. His orders were that he not be disturbed unless his father is dying.

Sally answered the door, knowing full well who the visitor was. It was Chiron, the immortal trainer of heroes and Sally's old friend. When she was younger, her cousin used to train with the old centaur so she tagged along to watch. She studied with Chiron as her father had forbiden her to learn the art of combat.

"Chiron! I'm so glad you came! Please, come inside."Sally greeted and enveloped him in a hug. "Of course I came. You were my best student when it came to literature. Besides, I do not have any students as of now."Chiron said returning her hug.

They made their way to the kitchen where Perseus was stuffing himself with breakfast. "Morning mom. Who is this?" he said while staring at Chiron. "Where are your manners?" Sally said.

"Oops, sorry. I'm not used to having visitors." he said sheepishly. "My name is Orion, son of Gabriel, prince of Athens. I am the first grandson of King Minos of Crete. I am the prince that connects the thrones of Crete and Athens. How are you this fine morning, sir." Percy said with a now.

Chiron let out a small chuckle. "I must say Sally, he seems to be a charming young lad. I am Chiron, trainer of heroes. How old are you, child?"

"I turned five just last week, sir. If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" Perseus asked curiously.

"For you of course. You young Orion are going to be trained to become a hero." Chiron said clearly amused at the baffled expression on Percy's face. "Me a hero? Are you sure? Don't you need someone heroic to be a hero?" the five year old asked.

"No. Well, yes. On this journey, you will learn what it means to be a true hero." Chiron said. "Journey? What do you mean journey? Can't I stay with my mom?" Percy asked. "I am sorry but the journey we will be going on is a very dangerous one. You will be putting your mother in danger if she were to come." Chiron said.

"Mom are you alright with this? I can stay with you, if you want. Smelly Gabe is sure to give you a hard time if I left. And what about dad, what did he say?" Percy said to his mother. "I will be fine Orion. You go on. And your father will not be any prouder, whatever you may choose." Sally answered.

The young prince contemplated this for a few moments, and sighed.

"If you're sure abot this, mom. Then sir," he turned to the centaur. "It is an honor to train with the best teacher in all of Greece."

"Alright, Orion. I will come for you tomorrow morning. Be ready by then." Chiron said. After bidding the mother and son farewell, he took his leave.

"When is dad coming? I want to say good bye." Percy said. "Right now." A voice said. A man materialized beside Sally, a second later. "Father!" Percy said and gave Poseidon a big hug.

"Hello my boy. Your mother is right. I am very proud of you. I am sorry I was not able to come on your birthday. I had to go to a meeting on Olympus." Poseidon said. "It is fine dad. As long as you are here now." Percy said.

"I still have a present for you." Poseidon said. He materialized a sickle-like sword. It had a leather grip. It had golden patterns along the length of the sword. At the base it said 'Harpe' in greek letters. Along the middle, it curved slightly like an egyptian kheopesh.

"Is this what I think it is?" Percy asked. "This your namesake's sword. The very same one he used to slay Medusa. Now it is yours. I had my most trusted cyclops to enhance it. It will grow as you grow. I hope that it will keep you safe throughout your journey." Poseidon said.

He materialized a sheath and handed the weapon to his son. "Thank you dad. I promise to make both you and mom proud." Percy said with confidence.

* * *

**The next day...**

"Are you ready to go young Orion?" Chiron asked. "Yes sir." Percy said. He was dressed in a green chiton and sandals. On his belt was the sheath that carried Harpe. He had a change of clothes and a waterskin in a sack.

The pair walked towards the outskirts of the city of Athens. They shared a friendly silence. Percy's head looked from left to right, trying to familiarise himself with the city he grew up in but never had the chance to see as his 'father' forbade it.

After an hour, they finally stood at the the edge of the city. He looked back at his home, with a sigh. Athens was truly beautiful. If only he could have stayed longer, but he had to train.

"Tell me, Orion. Why did you agree to train with me?" Chiron asked. Percy said without hesitation, "Because I want to learn how to protect my mother. When I was younger, my 'father' used to beat me up all the time. I never told my mom because I knew that he would beat her. I would rather that I get hurt instead of her.

She has given up so much for me, it is the least that I can do. I also want to make her and my dad proud. My grandfather practically disowned me the moment he laid his eyes on me.

I want to prove to him that I am worth something. I want to gain his respect. I could careless about being famous or rich. As long as I am able to protect those I care about, I am happy."

Chiron nodded and lead the way into the forest. His mind was always thinking many things. Currently, the most prominent was what his new student said. He wants to protect his mother and gain his grandfather's respect. Usually, his students would say for fame and fortune. Or to be the strongest in the land.

He also found it strange that the boy said 'Smelly Gabe' and father as if they were two completely different people. While saying 'Smelly Gabe' as if it were the most vile thing on earth, he said father with such adoration and respect.

This boy is cetainly very interesting.

* * *

**_Author's Note:  
Thank you for reading the latest chapter. This chapter is very short compared to the next chapter. So here is little sneak peak of what to expect in the next chapter._**

**_~Halvax_**

**_Sneak peak at chapter 2: Attending Agoge  
Perseus and Chiron have been travelling all over Greece saving people and training. Percy makes a new friend and gets into a fight with another of his kind. He discovers that he is good at hunting but cannot hit the side of a barn with a bow._**

**_Stay Tuned!_**


	3. Attending Agoge

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Before I get on with the story, I think that apologies and explanations are in order. First of all, I want to apologize for not being able to update sooner. But with this year is a very important school year.**_

_**Seeing that I wasn't able to do as well as I had hoped last year, I need to do better. I not only need to exell academically but physically as well(I'm captain of one of the sports teams in my school). So with ten hours of training a week, and forty hours in school, the only time I have to write is during week ends.**_

_**I know it sucks, and if I had my way, I would write nonstop. Unfortunately, I don't, and to me, school is more important. So I'm sorry if I can only update during the weekends.**_

_**But to try to make it up to you, I have posted an extra long chapter. A little warning, however, is that it is not the best I've written. I started this quite sometime ago and was only able continue it now. So my writing style has changed. **_

_**I tried to fix it the best I can, and this is the outcome. Again I'm sorry for the lateness and the poorness of the quality of the chapter. But bear with me, as it can and definitely will only get better from here. **_

_**Reviews are undoubtedly welcomed. And thank you for reading this extremely long author's note. Without further ado, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**_

_**~ Halvax**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO in any way, shape or form. All rights are given to the amazing Rick Riordan.**_

* * *

**Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings**

**Chapter 2: Attending Agoge**

**Perseus' POV**

**Two years later...**

"Chiron! Chiron!" I called out. It's been two years since I left my mom. Over that time, I have been training for 14 hours a day, sleeping for 8 hours and eating the rest of the time.

Chiron's training put a whole new meaning to torture. But I try my hardest not to complain. If I want to be able to protect myself and the people I care about, I have to train. No matter how torturous.

I have been all over Greece and more. After we left Athens, we went to Thebes, Aegae, Byllis, Arcadia, Ephyra, Ithaca, Delphi, Megara, Corinth and Olympia. Along the way, we train during the day, and stay in small inns or camp out. I was even able to see the Olympic Games, when Chiron gave me a day off training. Right now, we are in the outskirts of Sparta.

I have stayed in forests, mountains, caves and valleys. I have learned how to use all kinds of weapons. But my favourite being a sword. Chiron even said that I am the best swordsman he has ever trained, even better than Heracles. He says that Heracles is more of a hands-on guy. He rarely uses weapons as he had his strength.

Where as I have a smaller build, I am faster and more flexible. For a boy of 8 years old, my prowess in battle is amazing. When we go to towns and cities, Chiron introduces me as his pupil and sends me on quests to prove myself to the people. Chiron says its part of my training.

If you consider killing man eating birds that were sacred to the war god, a training exercise. Due to my size, or my lack of it, I was able to fit into the swamp and use my developing water powers to kill half of the Stymphilian Birds that were terrorising the townspeople. I would have got them all but using my powers exhausts me alot. I thought of using a bow to finish the job, if only I had the accuracy.

My father has been contacting me mentally, to give tips in my water training. My swordmanship is almost flawless, I am an above average spearman and despite my small size, I can give a pretty decent fight when it comes to hand to hand combat. But for the life of me, I cannot handle a bow.

That is mostly what I am working on. If not, my powers over the sea. My name is actually quite well known now. Although I lived in Athens my whole life, I don't have a drop of Athenian blood. So Chiron introduces me as Orion of Crete.

Not even Chiron knows of my true identity. But I have a feeling that he is suspicious of my heritage. I am not the most suitable person to hide a big secret. Whenever I got angry and we were near a body of water, it mirrored my emotions. I have had my fair share of exploding flower vases and water fountains.

I am expecting to complete my training once I turn nine next year. From then on, I will have to survive on my own. Chiron says that it is up to me on how I use that knowledge that he has passed on to me.

"Over here Orion." Chiron says. "We will set up camp for the night and head into Sparta in the morning. By my calculations, we will reach the city by noon. We will have to stay in Sparta for a while as I have some business to attend to. Spartans are known to be great warriors. I expect you to continue your training even in my absence. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." I saluted. I am very excited about going to Sparta. I want to be able to face fierce and battle hardened soldiers to see where I can improve. As long as archery is not concerned, I am all for it.

* * *

Once we arrived in Sparta, it is well after noon. Chiron brought me to a house. The roof was made out of clay tiles, and the walls were made out of mud bricks. The floors were made of beaten earth. The windows on the house were small and had wooden shutters. The house was relatively small. It had a living room, kitchen, dining and sitting area and one bed room.

"You will be staying here in the mean time. You will have to get your own food, as I will most likely be too busy to come see you. To start you off, here are 100 drachma. Use it wisely. I will be back in a month at most. As for your training, usually, Spartans are required to start their military training and education at the age of 6. I have made arrangements for you to attend, despite of you being two years late.

I expect your training with me can more than cover this up. Make the most of your time here to learn new things and gain new friends. Spartans find loyalty and teamwork to be very important. Gain their respect and do not cause any unnessecary trouble. Understood?" Chiron asked.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, what are you going to be doing while I stay here?" I curiously asked. "I am meeting my dear friend, Daedalus. He is king Minos' architect and adviser. Which reminds me, Daedalus has a son named Icarus. He asked me if I knew anyone that could help keep an eye on Icarus, so I volunteered you. I want you to look after him as both of you will be attending the agoge. Alright?"

"Yes sir." I responded. Chiron nodded and left after giving me the pouch which contained the drachmas.

The agoge is where Spartans were trained and taught. Here they will undergo strict training so that they can protect their city in the future. Boys start at 6 and continue training until they are 20.

For the rest of the day, I decided that I would explore the city. I went into my room, and put down my stuff. I headed our the door, making sure that I had the pouch of drachma with me. But I only took half of the original amount. I chose a direction and started walking. Sparta was filled with houses that were similar to the one I am staying in except they were bigger. People were walking about, and muscular men were talking loudly to each other. They were sharing their achievements in battle, where to drink later that night or which woman they would take to bed.

I felt my blood boil when I heard that. My mom always told me to treat women with respect and as equals.

* * *

_Flashback-_

_"Now Perseus, today we are going to learn all about how to treat women." Sally told her 4 year old son. " Daddy said that woman should throw themselves at men and we should have our way with them. He said that if they don't obey, then we should beat them up. He said that women are slaves to men and should do whatever we command them to do." Percy said, qouting Gabriel's words. _

_Sally was horrified. "Listen to me Perseus, women are to be treated with respect. They are just as good as men. The problem is that we are not given the privellages that men are given. Women are treated inferior just because they are women. When you grow old Percy, I want you to remember to treat women like men. We are not weak, nor are we inferior. Promise me that you will not do the vile things that most men do to women. _

_Promise me that you will protect those in need, regardless of their gender. Swear that you will do your best to see the good that people have In their hearts and not judge unjustly." Sally said with seriousness and determination._

_Percy was surprised. In all of his short life, Percy had never seen his mother this serious, not even when he purposely broke Smelly Gabe's priceless vase. _

_He nodded weakly, taking a quick look at his mother's eyes. He regretted it. Her usual hazel eyes that were kind and loving was replaced by eyes that were so dark brown that they were almost black. They showed such disappointment that it brought tears to young Perseus' eyes. _

_"I am so sorry mom. I didn't mean to think that about women. I thought that Smelly Gabe was telling the truth. I thought that women should be treated like slaves like he said. Please forgive me mom, I really am sorry." He said as tears flowed freely down his cheeks and blurred his vision. _

_Sally's eyes softed and returned to her hazel eyes that were full of love and compassion. She could never stay angry at her son, no matter what he did. She gave him a smile and said, "Of course I forgive you, Percy. Just remember what I said. Don't treat people unjustly because of their gender. _

_Everyone is equal. I am also sorry that I snapped at you like that. I keep on forgetting how young you are because you are so mature." She ruffled his hair and gave him a hug. _

_"I really am sorry. I should have known better than to believe Smelly Gabe." Percy said still ashamed, and wiping his tears. _

_"It is alright, son. You know, if I had not met your father, I would have joined Lady Artemis' Hunt, and swear off the company of men. I have always admired her as a warrior and leader. _

_She protected women who could not protect themselves. She is stronger and more skilled than most men. I have always wanted the skills to protect myself. But my father would never allow it. He said that women only exist for the sole purpose of bearing a man's child and tending to a man's needs. _

_Because of this, I believed that all men are monsters. But when I met your father, he convinced me that not all men are like that. So I didn't join the Hunt. And I am glad that I didn't. Or else, I wouldn't have such a great son." Sally said. _

_End of Flashback-_

* * *

I was just about to walk over to the group of men who said that to give them a piece of my mind, when I heard my name being called.

"Orion? Orion? Is there anyone here named Orion?" A voice coming from infront of me said. I walked over to the boy who looked about my age. He had short messy, dark blond locks. He had a scrawny build compared to my slighly muscled body which is the result of three years of gruesome training. He was wearing a white chiton that came to his knees, had a belt around his waist and a pair of sandals.

I tapped him lightly, which caused him to suddenly turn around. Now that I was looking at him face to face, I could see that his face had childish features. His eyes were stormy grey and looked quite intimidating. He glared at me. I just shrugged, I had faced man eating birds for Zeus' sake. A kid my age's glare doesn't really faze me.

I held out my hand and said, "Hey, I heard you were looking for me. My name is Orion." the boy shook it reluctantly, while his eyes darted from my head to my toe as if analysing me every detail. "My name is Icarus, son of Daedalus, of Crete. My father came here to meet up with a friend of his and told me to come see a boy named Orion."

He let go of his hand and stepped back. He looked at me expectantly. "What?" I asked. "Aren't you going to tell me to bow or something?" Icarus asked. I gave him a confused look and said, "Why would I do that? I am not a god. We are practically of the same age. Why would I expect you to bow to me, your equal."

"I guess my father is right. You are different from the others." Icarus answered and started walking towards the arena, while motioning for me to follow.

"What do you mean by different from the others? What others are you talking about?" I asked while following him. Can he never give me a straight forward answer?

"Heroes. You are different from all the other heroes that I have met. They are all arrogant pigs with big egos. They expect people to bow to them and treat them like gods just because of their supposed great feats. The only reason they do those feats is for the fame and money." Icarus said.

"But I am not a hero. I have not done anything heroic." I said. "You are joking right? I have heard of your deeds. I heard of when you got rid of two cyclops who were running amock in Thebes, and didn't accept the reward that the people were willing to pay. Then again in Delphi when you rescued the oracle from bandits." He answered.

"The cyclops in Thebes were annoying me and they were hurting the people, so I vaporised them. And I only found the band of bandits by accident. I was hunting in the woods when I found them. They were talking about a hostage so I freed her, not knowing that she was the oracle.

Thinking back on it now, those deeds were not heroic, they were stupid. The cyclops were huge and could have easily killed me were I not lucky. And the bandits severely out numbered me.

Chiron always told me not to jump into a fight without a plan, especially if I am out numbered. By rescueing the oralce, I disregarded my master's teachings." I said downcast. I have always been feeling guilty about those things.

* * *

_Flashback-_

_One day, Perseus was hunting in the forest in search for his lunch. He had set up a few snares awhile ago, but nothing was caught. After a few more minutes of searching, he spotted a young doe who was drinking by the river. _

_He took his spear, as he knew that he would have no lunch if he used his bow. Just as he was about to release the spear, a scream broke through the peaceful forest. Apon hearing this, the doe bolted out of sight. _

_Now Orion was getting frustrated. He had been out hunting for nearly two hours now and had nothing to show for it. He stalked over to where he heard the scream, wanting to give the person who cost him his lunch, a piece of his mind. _

_But when he got there, a horrible sight awaited him. There were five men, surrounding a girl of about thirteen. They had the girl cornered and were eying her with lustful eyes. _

_The girl had feiry red hair and green eyes. Her eyes held fear and she was trembling. Percy's ealier irritation was now replaced by rage. How dare these men try to touch an innocent girl? He thought. _

_Without thinking, he drew his sword, raised his spear and charged. He used the staff of his spear to knock the nearest man unconsious. He swept the second man's feet from under him, causing the man to loose his balance. Using this advantage, Percy used the flat of his blade to knock the man out. _

_The other three who have recovered from their shock by now, met Percy's charge. The first man, drew his sword and exchanged a few blows with Percy. The second man, tried to get under Percy's guard while distracted by the first man. The third, probably the leader of the gang, stood by the girl, making sure she does not try to escape. _

_The men had a big advantage over Percy as they were taller, had longer reach and stronger. Percy on the other hand, was faster and more flexible. Besides, Chiron was always Percy's sparring partner, who is ten times better that these men. _

_After a few minutes, Percy finally found an opening in the first man's defence. He feigned a blow to the bandit's head. The bandit, predictably rose his sword to parry the strike. Percy smirked and gave him a deep cut on his right leg._

_The man let his sword go and brought his hands down to examine the wound. Big mistake. Percy used the hilt of his sword to knock the man unconsious. Three down, two to go. He now turned to the second man, who was trying to keep a brave face on. He let out an angry cry and he attacked Percy with renewed vigour. _

_"An enraged opponent is a dead opponent. Anger is a good weapon to have, if you know how to use it. Emotions can be used to feul your attack, as long as you don't let it get the better of you." Chiron once told his young pupil._

_"What kind of bandit are you? Can't you even beat a kid like me?" He said tauntingly. "Why you little!" Was all he could say before Percy have him a barrage of slices, jabs, feigns, slashes and strikes. Unfortunately, the bandit was unable to keep up. _

_With one final blow to the head, the man slumped to the ground. By then, Percy was panting heavily. He looked at the last man with a menacing glare. The man let go of the girl, gave a yelp and ran further into the forest. _

_Exhausted, Percy collapsed on the ground as well, taking several deep breaths. Although out of energy, he looked at the girl who was now staring back at him. There was an awkward silence that settled. _

_Percy ran his had through his hair and said, "Um... Hi my name is Orion of Crete. Are you ok?" After a pause, the girl reluctantly answered, "Traumatised, but otherwise alright. I am sorry for the trouble I may have cost you. And I am grateful for your help. My name is Rachel the Oracle of Delphi. I was kidnapped by those bandits a few days ago. And I really must be going." _

_"No problem. I try to help when I can. And I can escort you back to Delphi if you want." Percy said. _

_Percy was intrigued by this frizzy haired oracle. He was curious, and wanted to findout what an oracle does. "No, no, I have already caused you too much trouble." Rachel said shaking her head. _

_"Nah, it's no problem. My mentor and I are heading there anyways. Besides, you will be much safer with us." Percy said. But Rachel was still reluctant. After the experience she had, she did not know who to trust anymore._

_"I don't know, if I can trust you..." She started. Percy looked confused at first but said, "Oh, that's right. Sorry. I forgot about the bandits thing. Chiron always said I get ahead of..." _

_"Chiron? How do you know Chiron?" Rachel said. She had heard about the kind immortal trainer of heroes. If this boy knows Chiron personally, then maybe she could trust him. _

_"Chiron is my mentor. He is the one waiting for me and will have my head if I don't come back soon. So are you coming or not?" Percy said impatiently. _

_"I guess it would not hurt to come along. Lead the way Orion." She said. _

_The two became good friends along the way to Delphi, after some arguing. Rachel shared stories on being an oracle. In turn, Percy taught Rachel basic techniques on the knife for self defense. _

_Before they went on their seperate ways Rachel stared at Percy in a far away look and said, "We will meet again in the very distant future, and you will end my curse. But until then, remember that revenge is never the solution."_

End of Flashback

* * *

Icarus shook his head and said, "Orion, you are too modest for your own good. Tell me, why did you do those deeds in the first place, if they betrayed your master's teachings?"

I thought for a moment and slowly answered, "To help them out. My mom always told me that I should help people in need if I can. I did those deeds to protect innocent people from danger, without thinking about the consequences." I said now with more confidence.

He nodded and said, "Spoken like a true hero. A wreckless hero, but a hero none the less." "Thank you Icarus. You sound alot like Chiron." I said with a smile.

"Grandson of Athena, at your service." He said with an exaggerated bow. "Friends?" I held out my hand to him for the second time today. This time, he took it without hesitation. "Friends." He confirmed.

We were now standing infront of the arena. It was simple building but it was made of stone unlike the houses here. In front, a statue of Ares was built holding a spear in one hand and a Spartan shield in the other.

"Come on, I want to see what is inside. I have never been to an arena before." Icarus said. I had no choice but to follow him as he was already running into the building.

In the middle of the arena was circular ring where warriors could fight. There were stands for people to sit in and watch the action. Currently, there were quite a number of people.

I was looking around trying to find my friend. I take my eyes of him for a second and he vanishes. If I don't find him soon, Chiron will have my head. Suddenly I heard a strangled scream somewhere in the middle of the ring. I turned my head to see Icarus slowly back away from a blurry boy who looked about 12.

I started running towards my friend. Considering Icarus' scrawny build, I knew that he had no chance of besting the boy. Just as the boy raised his fist to punch Icarus, I stepped between the two.

"Now, can't we settle this peacefully?" I asked. Chiron always said to try the democratic approach before turning to violence. "No." was the boy's simple answer.

Before he was able to attack I asked, "What did my friend do to you?" "He bumped into me and insulted me infront of my gang. For that, he will pay." He said menecingly.

I stole a glance behind him and saw three boys who had a similar build as his. They were all very muscular and at least a foot taller than me. They each had a sword on their belts and shield strapped on their backs.

If this resulted in a fist fight, I would have very slim chances of winning. They would most probably outclass me interms of strength. But with Icarus here, winning a fist fight would be impossible. For one, I would have to protect both of us. But if it were with weapons, I stood a better chance.

By the looks of the boys, they were more accustomed to hand-to-hand combat. I would have the slight disadvantage. I prefered to use double swords but I can never find a sword that is as balanced as Harpe.

"I am sure that if Icarus would just apologise," I began, and gave Icarus a glare who was cowering behind me. "I will not apologise to that pig. He insulted me by calling me weak and dumb, just becuase I told him I come from Crete. Weak, I can accept, but I am nowhere near dumb. My brain is probably ten times bigger than his, considering he had one." Icarus said.

"That is it. Step aside punk, and let me knock that Cretan down a peg." The boy bellowed in rage. I noticed that everyone was now staring at us with facination and amuzement. I heard some people betting on who would win.

'Lysandor will crush those weaklings', 'Lysandor is a child of Lord Ares, there is no way he would lose to that twig' and 'I don't think even Lord Apollo can heal him after Lysandor is through with those two' were some of the things that people were saying.

I felt a bead of sweat sliding down the side of my head. I wonder just how good this Lysandor guy was. "No. I will not let you hurt my friend. You started it first by insulting him. Granted that he should have just apologised," again I looked pleadingly at Icarus who refused to make eye contact. "But that does not mean that you can just hit him." I said.

Before he could retort, I continued,"Now if you don't mind, could you let us pass." I stated more than questioned. "This guy is hilarious. Do you seriously think that Lysandor will just let you pass, who do you think you are?" a boy from behind Lysandor said smugly.

"Orion." I said.

"Well listen here, Orion, there is no way the boss will just let you pass. He is a son of the mighty Ares. A true Spartan does not back down from a fight." The same boy said.

"Well a smart Spartan, will. Now move aside." I said. Democracy will never work in this situation, but if I can fight them one on one, there is a bigger chance of surviving this.

"Are you questioning my intelligence, punk?" The boy said.

"What if I am?" I countered.

"Let me teach him a lesson, Lysandor. I will make sure that he learns to never underestimate a Spartan." The boy looked at Lysandor, who gave a dismissive wave.

"Icarus, things are only going to go downhill. I need you to do whatever I say. If I say run, you run. Got that?" I turned to Icarus who was looking very pale. He gave a timid nod.

I turned back to my attacker who was slowly advancing towards me. "Icarus, I need you to stay behind me no matter what." I said without removing my attention from Lysandor's lackie.

He suddenly threw a wild punch aimed at my face, which I easily dodged at the last second. From his expression, I could tell that he did not expect that. He gave a jab, which I sidestepped. He tried to sweep my legs from under my feet, I was quicker and jumped up, landing gracefully, with barest trace of a smirk on my face. Because of Chiron's intensive training, I could read him like an open book.

I saw the smallest details, like his legs tensing and the beads of sweat that were on his forehead. He tried several more times to catch me off guard, but to no success. I even gave my own experimental punches to see how fast his reflexes were. They were light and would not cause much damage as I was keeping them to a minimal.

I was not very impressed. Most of my hits connected with their targets, despite the lack of speed or power I was exerting. Our 'fight' if you could even call it that, lasted for afew minutes. Then I noticed that his punches were getting more random and slower. He was finally tiring.

I gave him a barrage of punches that hit his gut and kicked him right on the head. Although I kept my attack at minimum power, he slumped to the ground unconsious. One down three to go.

People were now buzzing. Surprised that I was able to beat him. The boy I fought, was suppose to be one of the best fighters who were his age. I think I may have over estimated these boys. But I can never be too careful, so I made sure to keep my guard up.

Lysandor gave me a murderous glare. "How dare you attack Alex?" he said in rage. "So you're not only blind, but you're brainless too. He obviously attacked me first." I said sarcastically.

"You'll pay for that. Come on boys, let's show this punk how a true Spartan fights." He said with a smug look on his face.

"Does a true Spartan fight an outnumbered opponent?" I asked. Lysandor signalled for his companions to stop, who looked at him questioningly. "You're right. I will fight you myself." He said and drew his sword.

The buzz in the crowd grew louder. More bets were placed and the general thought was, 'this kid must have a death wish, for him to cross a child of Lord Ares.'

I sighed and drew my my sword aswell. The celestial bronze that was mixed with mortal steel blade had grown in the last two years. I am now a master at wielding this sword, thanks to my training. Democracy never was my strongest suit, anyway, I thought. Another thought that crossed my mind was that Chiron will kill me when he finds out.

Lysandor eyed my scythe-like blade warrily then moved into charge. He tried to cut my left arm which I parried. He became more enraged and delivered stronger hits. I had to admit, they were heavy hits. They slammed into my sword like a battering ram. I knew that my arms would feel like jelly after this, but I was more concerned about keeping Icarus and I alive.

He was growing more frustrated with each unsuccessful hit. I moved to attack. Giving him shallow cuts in chinks of his leather armour. Lysandor slowly moving back. I feigned a strike to his left, but instead disarmed him. I put my sword at his throat and said, "Yield?"

But before he could answer, "Orion, help!" Icarus screamed behind me. I turned around to see Icarus being held captive by two very smug looking bullies. One of them had their sword pointed at his throat. "What will you do now, Orion?" They mocked.

"Let him go, you cowards! You're too scared to fight me man to man so you go after my defenseless friend. If that is what it takes to be a true Spartan, then I am glad that I am not one of you." I spat.

The distance between us were only about 10 feet. At full lunge I can easily cover 6 feet. If I push hard enough, I can cover 8 feet. With my sword at 3 feet, I can probably stop any attack he makes. I tensed up my legs preparing to pounce.

But before I could, I was stopped by a man who said, "Alcon, Alector, release the boy. Lysandor, I expected more from a son of Ares. That boy beat you fairly, be a man and accept defeat."his voice was full of authority that it left no room for the an argument from the boys.

The boys' eyes widen as they recognized the voice. But they made no move to obey his order.

"But sir, they insulted us." The guy with the sword whined.

"They had good reason to do so Alcon. If you had been trained as hard as that young man, you could have beat him. You could not even see that he was practically toying with you. From what I have seen, he could have beat you within seconds of the fight. Had his friend not been with him, I doubt he would have held back.

Also, if you paid any attention to his body movements, Alcon, you should have noticed that he was ready to launch himself at you and most probably cut your hand clean off. And right now, I have half a mind to let him. But I doubt your father will not be happy with that. So just let the boy go." He commanded

Alcon grudgingly sheathed his sword and pushed Icarus towards me. I quickly stepped forward to hold him up. I gave Alcon my best death glare, the same one that caused a cyclops to flinch.

The arena was now silent. Nobody dared to make a sound as the man approached us. The man had salt and pepper hair, a trimmed beard and a strong jaw. His obsidian black eyes showed experience and authority. The man was probably in his late 30s. He had a tanned skin and was wearing a chiton and a pair of sandals.

"I am sorry for any trouble these boys may have caused you, young man. By the way what are your names." He asked.

"Sorry sir, but my mom said never to talk to strangers." I said. I knew that I should have just told him, but something about him made me nervous. And when I get nervous, I tend to become sarcastic.

He gave a slight chuckle, "How rude of me, my name is Lagos, I am the chief military trainer."

"I'm Orion. This is my friend Icarus. I am the one who should be sorry. We are foriegners in your city and yet we have caused you trouble."I said sincerly. Chiron is definitely going to kill me when he finds I out.

"You are too modest. Are you perhaps the boy Chiron told me about?" He asked. Before I could reply, Lysandor jumped in saying, "Chiron? How are you related to Chiron? Are you his servant? I am going to be his pupil soon, you know?" He boasted.

"You? Uncle Chiron's pupil? You are joking, right? I doubt Chiron will even spare a glance at you." Icarus said, laughing his head off.

An elbow at his ribs, courtesy of me, stopped his laughter. "Sorry about that. I am sure Icarus did not mean it. But no, I am not Chiron's servant, I am his pupil." I said. Lysandor was really getting on my nerves. If Chiron had not made me promise not to cause trouble, Lysandor would need a permanent residence in the infirmary.

"Pupil? Yeah right. If you really are his pupil, then that horse must not have half a brain. Why would he choose to teach a nobody like you?" He said laughing.

That is when I snapped. He can insult me, but not my mentor. Chiron was a father to me as much as Poseidon. Faster than the eye can see, I drew my blade and put the curved edge agaist his neck.

"Do not insult my teacher. His teaching methods may be unconventional and worst than Tartarus but they are effective. You will never be half the man he is, literally and figuratively.

I don't care if you are the son of Ares, you can be the son of Zeus for all I care. You are nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks he's a big shot just because his father is a god." I said, my tone was deadly calm but full of venom.

I stepped back and turned to the chief trainer. "I am sorry you had to see that but he was getting on my nerves. If I am still welcome, I would be honored to attend your trainings."

"Of course you are welcome. Any pupil of Chiron's is welcome to come train with us." He replied. I nodded at him and pulled Icarus with me back to the house.

* * *

Once I closed the door, Icarus immediately started to apologise. By now, I had calmed down, and told him that no apology was needed. I knew that it was the Athena in him that made him so prideful. But he still offered me dinner to compensate, and I accepted, beating up bullies drained my energy.

After eating our fill, we decided to go to sleep. The bed room had four bunk beds in it, so we each picked one and drifted to the realm of Morpheus.

My dream was a really weird one. I saw a river and my mother on top of it, going for a swim. But having a closer look, I saw that she was struggling to get to shore. My mother was blessed by Poseidon. How can she be drowning?

Finally, after a few minutes, a faint blue light surrounded her and she was able to swim back to the shallow parts of the river.

The rest of my sleep was uneventful, and I woke up forgetting about the dream entirely. I was too exicited about going to military training to even care. I got up, got dressed and went to wake up Icarus. I was wearing an exomis, which is just a shorter chiton, fastened of the left shoulder. I usaully wear this when I am training with Chiron.

"Wake up Icarus. We have to get to the arena if we don't want to be late." I said. We learned last night that we our meals would be provided as long as we arrive on time. After about five minutes of unseccessfully trying to get him to get up, I resorted to willing some water to drop on his head.

It irritated him to no end but it did the job. I finally got him to get up, get dressed and we headed for the arena. When we got there, almost everyone was already assembled.

I looked around and saw that the youngest here was only a few years younger than me. The oldest around Lysandor's age. When we entered the arena, all conversation stopped and people started to stare at us. I blushed but continued walking towards one of the stands, trying my best to not draw any attention to myself.

Apparently, beating a son of Ares single handedly, gives you attention. Everyone was busy talking to their friends about the fight yesterday. But they stopped when Lagos walked in. Everyone started running to form ranks according to age. While Icarus and I remained seated.

We went to Lagos when he motioned for us. "Spartans! We have guests who will be staying with us for a month or so. They will be learning and experiencing the same things as you. So I expect you to not give them any special treatment. Understood?" He boomed. The spartans said yes sir in unison. "Would you care to introduce yourselves?" He asked me.

"My name is Orion of Crete, pupil of Chiron. This is my friend Icarus, son of Daedalus." I said with a small smile while facing the Spartans. Their expressions varied from awe to anger.

"For the past couple of months, you have all been given your meals. Am I correct?" Lagos said after he sent us to stand with the rest of the eight year olds. His question was met by a 'Yes sir'.

"Starting today, you will hunt your own food. When you all graduate, you will be sent to fight wars for the city. You will have to stay in foreign lands with a limited food supply. So hunting will be a good skill to have. You will all head out to the woods and hunt for all your meals starting from today. Do I make myself clear?" He said.

One of the nine year olds raised his hand timidly. Lagos motioned for him to continue. "Sir, what if we do not catch anything?" He asked nervously.

"Then you don't eat." was Lagos' blunt response.

"Are you going to teach us how to hunt?" Another asked. "No. You will have to find out for yourself. Spartans don't take the easy way out. You will all split up into pairs and will split you kill between each other.

Now, if there are no more questions, find a partner and head to the woods. Be back in two hours with whatever you got." He said. "An asortment of hunting gear will be provided outside the are arena. Get what you think will be necessary."

I looked at Icarus and knew we were thinking the same thing. Heading outside, we found enough bows for everyone and double the amount of quivers with around thirty arrows inside. There were also spears, swords, knives and rope. Almost everyone were getting swords and spears. A few getting bows and arrows. But no one was touching the rope or the knives.

This led me to believe that no one here has ever went hunting. I would love to see the look on their faces when they realise that swords are not going to do much good when you're hunting.

I grabbed two spears, some rope, a kinfe and a bow and quiver. This would be the best time to practise my archery. Icarus got rope, a knife and a bow and quiver. We started heading towards the forest with smiles plastered on our faces.

"So do you know anything about hunting?" I asked my friend. "I have never gone hunting but I'm a pretty decent shot with the bow. I also know how to make snares and traps. But aside from that I'm clueless." He said.

"Don't worry. Chiron and I have gone hunting countless of times. I can teach you if you want. Just follow my lead and we will have breakfast in no time." I said with a reassuring smile. "You would really teach me?" He said skeptically, trying to detect trickery in my voice. I shrugged and said, "What are friends for?"

* * *

When we got into the forest, I lead with Icarus right behind me. I told him to stay as quiet as possible and to step where I stepped. He followed obediently, for about half an hour when his curiousity finally took over him.

"What are we looking for? We've been walking for half an hour now." He whispered. I kept walking for a few more minutes and stopped when I found what we were looking for.

"We were looking for a source of water. Animals need a drink as much as humans do. As long we stay here, animals are bound to come." I said. In truth, I have known that this creek was here for the last fifteen minutes. All I had to do was stretch my senses find where the source of water was. This was one of the things dad taught me.

"What are we going to do now, oh great hunter?" Icarus questioned sarcatically. I rolled my eyes. "Now, we have to put up snares and traps to catch our food. Can you do that?" I answered. "Does Lysandor have an ego the size of Olympus?" He smirked. "Of course I can. I have been studying them for years. But while I do that, what are you gonna do?"

"I am going to scout the area. This creek should be familiar with the animals. But it should also be familiar to monsters. I want make sure that none are near by. Just be careful, don't make any noise and we'll have our breakfast in no time. Once your done placing the traps, find some cover and wait. Once an animal is trapped, use your knife and stab it." I said and took off.

After making sure that we were safe, I went back to the creek. There, I saw Icarus with what looked like a young doe and a grin that threatened to split his face. I had the same expression when I got my first catch.

"You were right Orion. About ten minutes after I finshed setting up the snares, the doe came to drink water and got trapped. I did what you said and stabbed it. But I also found these when I was hiding in the tree waiting." He said and showed me four eggs. "Come on let's head back to the arena while we're early. I am willing to bet that we will be the first there."

"Before we head back, we have to skin the doe and wash its meat. You can keep the hide as a symbol of your first catch, if you want. The inedible parts, we will let it wash down the creek for others to eats." I said, repeating what Chiron told me when we first went hunting

He nodded and asked, "Why do we have to wash it?" "Monsters will be attracted to its smell. Don't worry, I will only take a few minutes, I have done this more times than I can count." I said and started the process of skinning and cleaning our game.

True to my words, I did this expertly and only took ten minutes. If I weren't a male, I would fit right in with the hunters of Artemis, Chiron onced mused.

While I did this, Icarus took down the unsed snares on my instructions. We would be able to reuse them in the future and Chiron always said to only take the right amount and never get too greedy or we will anger the Earth.

We reached Sparta much faster than the way we came, not bothering to stay silent. On the way, Icarus asked, "What will we do if other people find that creek? Then we will have to share our game."

"I highly doubt that anyone will find it. The creek was very deep into the forest. The others probably don't dare venture off that far. But if they do find it, we will have to find another spot or negotiate." I answered, leaving him to wonder what I meant by negotiate.

When we entered the arena, no one was present except for Lagos and about six other men. They all looked about twenty years old, and had muscular builds. "They're probably the other trainers." Icarus whispered beside me.

* * *

"Welcome back Trainees. I take it that your hunt was successful?" Lagos asked. We nodded and showed him what we got. His face showed a hint of surprise but was quickly replace with a stoic expression.

"Are we the first ones back?" Icarus asked the obvious question, trying to rub in the fact that outsider were better than Spartans. I smirked inwardly.

"Yes. In fact you are the fastest ever to return from a hunt. You are both somewhat dirty but other wise unscratched. Didn't you encounter any monsters?" One of the other trainers asked.

"Monsters? Nope. We did not see a single monster." I said. "Not even one? How did you manage that? That forest is infested with mosnters." Another trainer asked.

"The edge of the forest is infested with them. That's why we stayed away from there and went deeper into the forest. I knew that they were placed there the moment I saw the tracks.

Although more dangerous, the number of monsters deeper into the forest is fewer. As long as we avoided them, we were relatively safe. If there were no monsters, we would have come back a lot sooner. That's actually what took so long, I had to make sure that we avoided the monsters." I said.

"But how about on your way back. Surely you encountered one, considering you had a dead animal in your company." The same trainer questioned.

"Orion washed and cleaned it before we left. He even made sure that we left no sign of us ever being there." Icarus boasted, and I blushed.

"Amazing. If you don't make a good soldier then you can always be a hunter, Orion." A trainer commented. And I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment of his praise.

"Alright, trainees. Cook your meal, wash up and be back in an hour. Seeing as your back extra early, you will have more time than the others." Lagos said.

We bowed and walked back to the house and Icarus cooked the food, seeing as I have never cooked in my life, whereas he was taught by his father. After the meal, we washed up, kept our hunting gear, which Lagos allowed us to keep, and headed back to the the arena.

When we got there, we were one of the first few to arrive. Apparently, everyone else were still bathing. We were also one of the few who actually ate breakfast. Once everyone was back, Lagos called us to attention.

"Congratulations to everyone who was successful and to everyone who were not, better luck next time." He said.

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

_**And this concludes the chapter. Don't worry, there is much more to come. I hope that my writing was not as bad as I thought, though it probably was in this chapter. I promise to do better in the next. **_


	4. Bittersweet Birthday

_**Author's note:**_

_**Hey everyone! Terribly sorry for the super late update. I was very busy and I did warn you that I will not be able to update as much as I want to. I'm also sorry for any mistakes that I made in this chap. If you spot any, feel free to tell me, so that I can change it immediately. Enjoy!**_

_**~Halvax**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. All rights belong to Rick Riordan.**_

**Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings**

**Chapter 3: Bittersweet Birthday**

**Percy's POV**

**Three weeks later**

Today marks the third week of agoge. All the trainees have been going through hard training to strengthen their bodies. The day consisted of hunting for food, stamina training, wrestling, hunting for lunch, weapons training, studying, hunting for dinner, bathing then sleeping.

Although the exercises felt like tartarus to the rest, they felt like elysium compared to the training that Chiron put me through. It was actually a nice break. But that doesn't mean that I can slack.

A week ago, Chiron came to visit. He told me that I would probably stay a month more than expected. But when he found out that I was in a fight, he was furious. Icarus managed to calm him down by saying that it was his fault. He also found out how easy the trainings here were so he have me a scroll that contained the things that I really should be doing. With almost two thirds of the list having something to do with archery.

So after agoge, which ended three hours before sun down, I have to undergo Chiron's training for five more hours before being allowed to rest. Icarus' punishment for starting the fight was to make sure that I did what ever Chiron instructed. Which to him is more of a reward than a punishment.

Despite being the same age, Icarus and I didn't share the same classes aside from hunting. This is because I had all my lessons with the twelve year olds, except for studying. Which I had with the eight year olds, while Icarus had it with the twelve year olds. Grandson of the godess of wisdom for you. Even the twelve year old training was easy.

For one, stamina training consisted mostly of holding your breath for long periods of time to strengthen your lungs. Being a son of Poseidon, I can breath underwater, so I can practically die of old age before I need a breath of air. But because I was trying to hide that fact, I made sure to come up for air after half of the others have come up.

When we weren't in the water, we were forced to run laps around the arena in the sweltering heat. Another thing that I had no problems about. One, the sun doesn't bother me much as I am fire and heat resistant. Two, I would have to run about ten laps around Sparta before I am even out of breath. And three, they gave a cup of water halfway through the exercise. No matter how small the amount, water always gives me a burst of energy.

Wrestling with twelve years olds becomes relatively easy when you've wrestled with an anrgy cyclops. Weapons training is also a breeze when you have mastered the sword and the spear, the only weapons that they train you in here.

Studying was the only real thing that is giving me a hard time. But with the grandson of Athena helping me, I was able to cope well enough.

Overall, agoge is fun. I have even made other friends aside from Icarus. There was Grover, a twelve year old boy who had achne and was already showing signs of a beard. He had curly brown and a very scrawny build. Even more so than Icarus.

He loves nature and is completely against hunting animals. So when he has to eat, he goes to the forest to look for edible berries and fruits. He even goes to the deeper part of the forest with me and Icarus.

Then, there is also Malcolm, Grover's twelve year old hunting partner. He has a slight build, similar to mine. He has blond hair and grey eyes. But he is also smart, like Icarus. In fact if you didn't know any better, you could have mistaken them for being brothers.

The four of us are best friends and look like we have known each other all our lives. We all help each other in someway. Grover helps me with nature based things like tracking and figuring out which plants are poisonous and which are not. Malcolm and Icarus helps me in archery and my studies.

Unsurprisingly, I am the worst at archery among the four of us. But between their help and Chiron's rigorous training, I would say that I am improving. I am now able to hit within the target, and had a five percent chance of hitting bulls eyes.

In return, I teach them sword fighting techniques. They are not as good as me but Grover and Icarus can only be beaten by Lysandor, me and Malcolm. Being Ares's son did make Lysandor's skill with the sword improve. But he did not have my training, nor my mentor. Malcolm is at par with Lysandor when it comes blades.

I got up early, a little over two hours before sunrise. Got dressed, grabbed my hunting gear and attempted to wake Icarus up. Because of Chiron's discipline, I am used to waking up early, but Icarus is a very deep sleeper. He usually only wakes up after I will water onto his face.

My hunting gear now only consisted of a knife and a bow and quiver of arrows. Icarus suggested that I practise hunting using only a bow and arrows. After waking him up, we headed to our usual meeting place with Grover and Malcolm.

After our hunting, we would use the time given to us to do personal training. Then head about our day training with the rest of the trainees. But today was different.

"I thought you'd never show up." Malcolm said impatiently. "Sorry, but Owl head over here, is a very deep sleeper." I said and punched Icarus lightly on the arm.

"Break it up guys. Let's just hunt for our breakfast and train." Grover, the peacemaker, said.

We nodded and entered the forest. We headed straight to the place where Icarus and I got our first doe. By now, we had memorised the trail and knew where the majority of the mosters stayed.

We were walking through the forest, when I heard a yelp. I suddenly stopped which caused the rest of the gang to bump in to me. "Why'd you stop, Ion?" Grover asked, using the nickname they made for me. "Did you hear that?" I whispered and motioned them to keep quiet while I listened hard.

Another soft yelp was heard. "There it is again," I said and started heading in that direction. "Are you sure about this, Ion? That is where most of the mosters are." Icarus said uncertainly.

I didn't listen to his warning and kept going. After a few moments, we saw a wolf pup trapped in a poorly made snare. It was badly hurt and covered in blood. He had gashes all over his dark brown fur, possibly from a hell hound.

"I recognize the poorly done snare. It's one of Lysandor's." Grover said with disgust. I only half listened as I slowly approached the pup, whispering calming and soothing words to it.

Eventually, it stopped shaking and allowed me to cut him free. Once I got him out I gingerly carried him in my arms. That was when I was able to get a good look at it. The first thing that attracted my attention was the near fatal wound that was across its chest. There was a deep gash that had blood flowing freely. His body was covered in claws marks. A small cut also ran from his forehead, through it's forest green eyes and down his cheek.

"We have to get him treated." Grover said. "But we are too deep into the forest to possibly get help in time." Malcolm reasoned.

I knew that he was right. I knew that this pup had no hope of surviving. But I had to do something. I can't just let it die. I was on the verge of tears when the idea hit me. And I physically hit myself in the head for being so stupid. Water.

I started running. The creek was only a few minutes away if I was at top speed. I could here my friends calling out to me in the distance. But I could not stop. I could not let this pup die. I would face the consequences but I knew that I could trust them. They were my friends, right?

I got to the creek and set the pup down into the water. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I felt a familiar tug in my gut and I willed the water to heal the pup's injuries, starting with its gash on its chest. I made a silent apology to my father, begging him to forgive me for the promise that I was about to break.

My friends finally caught up to me panting and taking deep breaths. I could feel their stares at my back when they saw what I was doing. But I had to concentrate at the task at hand. By now, the gash was no more than a scar. But the pup wasn't out of the woods yet. It could still die from blood loss. I quickly willed more of the water to heal its wounds. As soon as the water touched a cut, it would slowly close up.

After all the effort I spent, my engry was depleted. I was sweating like mad, but the pup was safe. It was sleeping peacefully in my arms.

I snuck a peek at my friends who looked dumb founded. I let out a nervous laugh and said, "Hey guys. So..." "That is so cool! How the Hades did you do that thing with the water?" Malcolm exploded.

I laughed. "I will tell you, but you have to swear on the Styx to not tell anyone." I said seriously. They swore the oath and I let out a sigh. "You might want to get comfortable. It's a long story." So I began to tell them the story of my life. I ended my tale by saying, "So yeah, I am the first born demigod son of Poseidon."

"To get things straight, you are the son of the sea god, your grandfather didn't like your real name, so he changed it to Orion, your stepfather is the jerk prince of Athens, your mother is the lost princess of Crete, you are the pupil of Chiron, who sucks at archery, has amazing water powers and is one of my best friends." Malcolm summed up.

I thought for a moment and said,"Pretty much. So are you guys mad that I didn't tell you? Because I am so sorry I never said anything and I get it if you don't want to be friends anymore. It's just that-"

"What do you mean don't want to be friends anymore? Your parentage won't change how we think about you Perseus. I for one find it very cool." Grover said with Icarus and Malcolm nodding in agreement.

"Well I am glad you finally told us." Icarus said. I gave him a confused look.

He rolled his eyes and said, "I first suspected something when you knew just where to find this creek. It was like you were drawn to it. Also, when we have to go for stamina training, when you supposedly come up for air, you look so calm and relaxed as if you never needed to in the first place.

You should have been panting like crazy, gasping for air, but you weren't. When we go for laps, one sip of water always seemed to reenergize you more than it should. But really what tipped me off was what you did three days ago."

I raised my eyebrow but motioned for him to continue. "When you were waking me up, I decided to test the theory I had of you having some kind of connection with water. So when I saw you controlling water to wake me up, I connected the dots and came to the conclusion of being a son of Poseidon." He ended.

"But how can you be so sure that I am a son of Poseidon? I could have been a son of Hectate. I could have used a spell to control water." I inquired. He shook his head and said,

"Nope. I saw Lord Poseidon once, when he went to Crete, for a meeting with Minos. No matter how a god changed their features, they always had a physical trait that they kept. For most gods, it is their eyes. I've seen loads of people with green eyes, but none as vibrant as yours.

The shade of your eyes change when your emotions change. Similarly to Lord Poseidon. You both actually look alot alike. Your hair, eyes and firm jaw. But your nose and mouth are different. Your mom's right?" He explained, I nodded. "How'd you do that?" I asked incredously.

He just rolled his eyes and said, "Grandson of Athena, remember?" I laughed and asked, "Why didn't you confront me about it? And why didn't you tell anyone. Not that I'm not grateful." He shrugged and said,"I figured you'd tell me about it when you were ready. And it wasn't my place to tell."

I pulled all of them into a hug. "You guys are the best of friends a guy could have." "We know. But don't go all soft on us Perce." Grover said.

"No way, G-man. But remember, you have to keep calling me Orion. No one but you guys know. Not even Chiron. Especially not Chiron. He is very loyal to Zeus and Athena. I trust him but if Zeus were to ask him, he would have no choice but to tell him." I said.

"Let's go guys, we have to go. People might get suspicious. But what are we going to do about the wolf pup?" Malcolm asked.

"We can't just leave it. It will die." Grover, the nature lover said. I swear, he could have been a satyr or something, in another life. "Of course we're not leaving Sirius. We'll take him with us. All we have to do is make sure no one finds out. I can always catch extra food for him." I said still stroking Sirius' fur, while he slept soundly.

"Sirius, Perce? Sirius?" Icarus asked. "Yes Icky, Sirius. Now let go." He grimaced at the nickname I gave him and tried to stand up. Keyword being tried. I didn't realise that the healing took so much out of me. I collapsed back to the ground, and my friends rushed to my side. "Are you alright, Percy?" Malcolm asked concerned.

"I'm fine just abit tired, Mal. Just get me into the water and I will be as good as new." I said. They carried me and Sirius still snuggling against my chest. As soon as my body was in the water, I could feel a familiar sensation wash over me.

I could feel my energy flow through me as the water worked it's magic. After afew more minutes of savouring my favourite element in the world, we headed back, I felt like I could take on a whole army of monsters.

We all went to my house to decide on what to do with Sirius. After alot of arguing, we decided that Sirius will stay in my house for the day. While I am resting from my 'cold'.

I prayed to my father and asked for some food for Sirius. He told me that if I needed anything then he'd see what he can do. He must have been in a good mood because in front of me was an asortment of food for both me and Sirius. With it was a note.

It said:

_Dear Perseus,_

_I am sorry that I have not been able to physically visit you. Things have been very busy here on Atlantis, especially since your younger half brother was born. Always remember that I love you and your mother more than anything in the world and that Triton will never change that. _

_There is also no need to apologise for telling your friends the secret. I can see that you trust them and I trust your judgement. I am happy that you were able to save the young wolf pup. I can see that you are already fond of him._

_You will not need to worry about him running away. He has been trained by his previous master and will stay if told to. You just have to give him food and water. _

_I am sorry that I am not able to give you anymore protection. If it wasn't for the stupid laws that Zeus made up, I would have made your mother my queen and you my heir. If you blame me for the hard life that you will most probably live, I will not hold it against you._

_But I do not have any regrets in siring you as you are the best son a father could have asked for. I know that someday, you will be the best hero to have ever lived. Far surpassing any of my idiotic brother's children. _

_Know that I am very proud of you and if you need anything, I will do all that I can to help. I love you, son._

_Poseidon_

"Thanks dad." I prayed silently. "I don't blame you for anything. I am just glad that you love me and my mother. You are a much better father than you give youself credit for. I am proud to be able to call myself a son of the sea. I love you."

I looked at Sirius to see that he was beginning to wake up. I picked him up and brushed his fur with my fingers. I slowly took a cup of warm milk and let it drink. I also gave it food and bandaged the remaining bruises that the water wasn't able to heal.

For the next few days, I stayed home saying that I had caught a cold. Icarus, Grover and Malcolm helped cover up for. They also informed me of what they were doing and would help me practise after they are dismissed.

I have been trying to teach Sirius new tricks, like sitting, heeling and rolling over. He is either a very fast learner or he has been taught before. Which leads me to my biggest question, Who was Sirius' previous owner?

I will have to face them sometime, but I doubt that they will want him back, seeing as they abandoned him in the first place.

He also knows how to hunt. I took him hunting the other day and he was able to sniff out a small doe and lead me to it.

**Two months after Perseus started agoge...**

It has been five weeks since I found Sirius. He has grown afew inches and is now the size of a young deer. All his previous bruises are now gone except for the cut that ran down his face. It left a white scar on the right side of his face, that made him look menacing.

My archery is now better than ever, but still miles away from perfect. But I can now hit the target quite accurately and my pecentage of hitting the bullseye has increased to forty percent.

I have also mastered the Spartan way of sword fighting which is abit more brutal than the style Chiron has been teaching me. I have also built up more muscle.

"I'm sorry we have to leave guys." Icarus told Grover and Malcolm. Both of which looked like they were on the verge of tears, similar to Icarus and me.

Today is the day that Chiron and Daedalus picks the both of us up and leave Sparta. Icarus will be going back to Crete. While Chiron and I go back to Athens, while making a few stops along the way. My training is scheduled to be completed in a month.

My birthday is also in a month's time my dad said that he will drop by on that day. He also said that once I complete my training, I will go back to Crete and live with my grandfather.

Needless to say, leaving Sparta is bittersweet.

"We promise to visit whenever we can. Being the son of Poseidon, I can guarantee us all safe trips across the sea. I'm sure grandfather will let me visit once in a while." i said reassuringly.

"We'll visit you too. Once we're done training. Make sure to take good care of Sirius." Grover said. "Yeah. We can show each other how much we've improved. Then we can all go hunting together. Then Icarus and I can see who is smarter." Malcolm said.

"Are you done with your good byes boys?" Chiron asked me and Icarus. We both gave our best friends a big hug. After sheading afew tears, Chiron and I walked Icarus and his father to the docks.

While we were walking, I could see that Icarus was visibly shaking. "What's wrong, Icky?" I asked. I knew that his mind was on other things as his face didn't even show disgust when I called him the nickname I gave him.

"The sea. You and I both know that Poseidon hates Athena. And being a grandson of Athena, there is a high chance that our boat will sink or something. My dad hides it well, but on the inside he's as nervous as me."

"Don't worry. I asked my dad to spare you. You owe me one, it was hard enough to convince him to spare you, but it was almost impossible to get him to spare your father. Apparently, he is one of Athena's favourites. But don't expect it to be smooth sailing. My dad will undoubtably have his fun along the way." I whispered, making sure that no one but Icarus heard me.

"So what are our chances of surviving?"he asked. "One hundred percent sure that you will alget to Crete in one piece and with your life." I reassured him. He gave me a nod of thanks and looked alot more confident about going on a ship.

Once we reached the docks, we said our goodbyes and went our seperate ways. "Are you ready to go Orion?" Chiron asked. I almost didn't respond when he said Orion. I have been so used to being called Percy or Perseus by my friends, trainee by the trainers of agoge of punk by Lysandor and his goons that the name Orion sounds foreign to me.

I guess I have to start getting used to my fake name again. "Yes Chiron." I answered. He nodded and started to lead the way with Sirius and I right behind him. At first Chiron was against Sirius coming with us. But he changed his mind when he saw my wolf's prowess in hunting and battle.

**A month later, Perseus' birthday, early morning...**

Today is the day. The day I oficially complete my training with Chiron. I have surpassed him in everything but archery. Although the contest we had was close. We both had to shoot a hundred arrows in under a minute, and see who had more bulls eyes.

Chiron had only missed ten times while I missed 20 times. Well, it was a close match in my book. Two years ago, I couldn't even get within ten feet of my target so to me, this was a big accomplishment. And I am very proud of myself.

I turn nine years of age today. I am planning to celebrate it with my mom and dad. Dad even told me through a dream that I could tell Chiron of my true heritage today. We would reach Athens by noon and my dad would drop by around that time.

After a few more hours of walking, only stopping for breakfast, we caught sight of Athens. We headed straight for my step father's castle. The moment I stepped into the castle I knew that something was wrong.

The smell of beer and wine was thick. My mother never allowed Gabe to bring drinks into the castle. Never. The lack of the smell of my mothers pastries was also enough to send a jolt of worry through my body.

"Chiron, something is wrong." I told my mentor. "I can sense it as well, my boy." He said with equal worry in his tone. I walked deeper into my old home. Bottles of wine lined the once spotless floor.

Where is my mom? She would never allow this mess. The stench of alchohol grew even stronger. I walked into the first room of the house, my mom and stepdad's bedroom. On the king sized bed was my stepfather.

He was sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly and muttering undecipherable things. Chiron, who had been searching the rest of the house, entered the room. "I can't find her anywhere my boy." He said sadly.

My worry was replaced by anger. I grabbed Gabe by his tunic and shoke him violently, making him wake up. When he saw me, he looked furious. "What is your problem boy? Can't you see that I am having a nap? I was out late last night. The girls at," He started saying.

But I cut him of, "I have no interest in your nightly escapades. All I want to know is where my mother is." I said in low whisper. I was inches from his face, and the smell of wine was rolling of him in waves.

He thought for a second, as if trying to recall who my mother is. "Sally, princess of Crete, woman you call your slave?" I said impatiently spitting out every word. I was getting angrier by the second. And his silence was not doing anything to ease me.

"Oh her." He said finally remembering. "She is with Lord Hades." He said with a shrug. As if it was the most common thing. Now I was beyond furious, I was enraged. "SHE IS DEAD?! AND YOU DON'T EVEN FEEL SORRY?! HOW COULD YOU? WHAT KIND OF HUSBAND ARE YOU?!" I shouted. "Calm down Orion." Chiron started saying.

To vent my anger, I started punching Gabe's face until it was a bloody mess. It did nothing to bring my mother back but it felt sickeningly good.

I could feel the ground starting to shake. Poseidon said that I can also cause earthquakes but I have never tried. And right now I don't care. The whole of Athens could be swallowed up by the earth for all I care. I had lost my mother.

"CALM DOWN, CHIRON?! CALM DOWN?! HOW CAN I STAY CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! I lost her. I lost the thing that matters most to me in the whole world. Even with all the training I endured, I was not strong enought to protect her. I wasn't even there for her when she needed me most." I said with hurt and sorrow in my voice. I could feel my tears flowing like a river down my face. But I don't care. I had lost my mother.

"HE promised to protect us. HE promised that he loved us more than anything. HE didn't do anything to help her. HE could have helped. But HE didn't do anything." I said to the one person that could have done something but didn't.

Suddenly, the familiar scent of sea breeze entered the room. It was calming and soothing. "I am so sorry Perseus." Poseidon said his voice full of remorse and regret when he materialized. He had red puffy eyes. As if he had been crying recently.

**Third Person's POV**

"Lord Poseidon." Chiron said with a deep bow. He was clearly confused, confused that the Lord of the Seas was here and confused that he had called Chiron's star pupil Perseus. His name was Orion, right? But now he was not so sure just what his pupil was. The earthquake just now was clearly his doing. And as far as he knew, Poseidon has never had any demigod children.

"Rise, Chiron." Poseidon said. The centaur got up and looked at the lord of the sea. His eyes were sea green and had jet black hair, similarly to Orion. The similarity is unacanny, thought the mentor.

Now that Perseus had gotten over the shock that his father was here, his rage returned. The man who had caused his mother's death is here. Blinded by rage, he ran to his father and tackled him to the ground.

"I don't care if you are a god. You killed my mom. Your the reason that she is dead. You could have done something. But you didn't." He said while punching his father in the face. Left hook, right hook, jab, uppercut, every move that he had learned over the years, he used on the sea god.

Chiron hurried to try to pry the nine year old off the sea god, in fear for his favourite pupil's life. But he stopped when Poseidon held up his hand. "Don't. He. Needs. This. He. Needs. To. Vent. On. Someone. It. Might. As. Well. Be. His. Father." Poseidon said in between his son's blows.

Poseidon had to admit. Perseus had gotten alot stronger. A normal mortal could not have done that much damage to a god. Especially to one of the Big Three. His punches were swift and presice. They were strong and hard. Despite the pain, Poseidon was very proud of his son to acheive such power.

The god had cuts all over his face and Icor free flowed from them. After half an hour of Perseus' continuos assults on his father's face, he stopped. He was panting heavily and the efforted he exerted on his father's beating and the earthquake he had caused earlier had depleted him.

His anger had disappeared and was replaced by grief. He had lost her, his mother. And he wasn't even able to say good bye. His tears were back. His grief, depression and energy depletion caused the young hero to slipped into unconsiousness.

Seeing this, Poseidon carried his child to his old room. He motioned for Chiron to follow him. Once Poseidon was sure that his son was comfortable, he let out a sigh. It was his fault that his beloved Sally was dead.

_There are laws against interfering with mortal lives. You couldn't have done anything._ A part of him rationalized. But that never stopped me before. Another part of him said, the guilty part, he suspected.

Poseidon could not blame his son. If Poseidon had lost his beloved mother, Rhea, he would have done the same thing.

Chiron decided that it was time to ask the question that has been on his mind since Orion became his apprentice, "Lord Poseidon, are you the boy's father?" Chiron has noticed over the years of travelling with him that the boy was different.

He had unnatural prowess in battle, godlike speed and his greek was amazing. But he could not, for the life of him, sit still. He always had to be doing something.

Poseidon sighed and nodded. Perseus said that he trusted Chiron with his secret, so Poseidon obliged and told the centaur the truth, after he had sworn to never reveal it unless he was given permission by Perseus or Poseidon.

After his tale, Poseidon summoned a bottle of nectar to help clense his wounds. "Chiron, I have a favor to ask of you." The sea god said.

"What is it Lord Poseidon?" Chiron asked. It is not often that the sea god asked for something. "I do not wish to force this apon you, but I ask that you guide my son. I do not expect you to follow him every step of the way. I just want you to make sure that he does not stray of the path of good when I can't. Please Chiron. The death of his mother his sure to be a very traumatic event. And I can't stand to see him clouded by revenge. As much as I want to put the people who killed my belived Sally in Tartarus, I do not want to see Percy only feuled by anger." Said the broken sea god.

Chiron had never seen a more broken god. Poseidon had begun crying again, and Chiron did the only thing that he thought he could do, he gave him a hug. The hug was soothing but awkward. After the god calmed down, they each took a step back. Poseidon rubbed the back of his head, giving a nod of appreciation.

Chiron chuckled. The father and son were so alike, Orion, who Chiron now knows as Perseus, did the exact same thing when he was in an awkward situation. Poseidon gave him confused, so Chiron explained his musings.

In turn, Poseidon chuckled. He was happy that his son was like him. Before long, the god and centaur were talking like they have know each other for centuries, which is technically true.

Poseidon told Chiron about his problems in Atlantis, which Chiron helped him solve. In turn, Poseidon promises to make a place where the children of the gods can stay in safety. This place will allow them to train to prepare them for the outside. Here, Chiron will be able to fufil his life long dream of training future heroes.

At around dinner time, Percy started to stir. He had the weirdest dream- or nightmare - that he had completed his training, it was his birthday but his mother was gone. He dreamt that he had caused the strongest earthquake Athens has ever experienced. He also saw that he beat both his real and step father senseless bacause of grief.

He could understand beating Gabe senseless, but Poseidon? He would not even dream of it. But he did.

His second dream was more comforting.

_He was in a forest. He recognised the forest. It was the forest that he had met his friend, Rachel the Oracle. Right in front of him, the said oracle materialised. _

_"Hello again Orion." Rachel said with a monotoned voice. "Hey Rachel, long time no see. You havn't been captured by bandits again have you?" Percy said teasingly. "Thankfully no. But this is no time for jokes. My time with you is limited." She said with more urgency. _

_Percy nodded and became serious. He knew that what oracles say are important. Chiron told him that their advice and warnings are of great value and should be followed. _

_"Of course Rachel. What is it?" He asked. "Orion, when you awake, a great devestation will meet you. I warn you to not be overcome by grief and depression. Do not be blinded by revenge and put the blame on innocent people. But most of all do not blame yourself for it is not your fault." She said. _

_Percy was confused. Why must oracles speak in riddles? Why would he be sad? He had everything he could ever need and want. But before he could continue with his internal musings, the Oracle continued speaking. _

_"I advise you to let go of the pain. Do not burden yourself with it. Every demigod has a fatal flaw. Yours it loyalty so I have no doubt that you will place all the blame on you. You will take on a big responsibility in the future, but do not be pursuaded by lies. In this world, things are never what they seem." She said. _

_"What does that even mean?" Perseus asked confused at his friend's word. But he was not even sure that this was Rachel. Her usual emerald green eyes were glazed over. She was emmiting an aura of ancient power, that could have rivalled a minor god. _

_"Unfortunately, my time with you is up. Heed my warning and take my advice. Live well young hero. Will meet again. But not in my life time. Farewell, Perseus." She said. The last word was almost uncomprehendable, but Percy heard it. Rachel knows his secret. But he was not very surprised. She is the oracle, afterall. _

He slowly rose from his slumber, trying to make sense of his dream. Seeing that he was beginning to wake, Poseidon rushed to his son's side. Percy had a throbbing headache that was threatening to split his head open.

Poseidon materialized a flask of nectar and a small square of ambrosia. "My lord, I do not think it is wise to feed Perseus the food and drink of the gods." He said cautiously. "It is alright Chiron. As long as he doesn't take too much, it is fine, his soul won't burn. Being a half blood does mean that he is part god. So he will survive small amount of ambrosia and nectar." Poseidon said reassuringly.

Percy ate the ambrosia, which surprisingly tastes like his favourite breakfast meal, his mother's home made blue pancakes. The nectar, tasted like liquified blue chocolatechip cookies, his mother's speciality. After drinking and eating the food, his head stopped hurting and he felt like he could take on an army on his own.

He looked around to see his father and his mentor smiling sad smiles at him. Then he noticed the absence of his mother. Worry took over him. Was his dream real? Was his mother really gone? Was all the training he went through to protect her all for nothing? It couldn't be true, right?

As if reading his mind, Poseidon answered, "Yes Perseus, she is truly gone. And I am so sorry that I could not protect her." Poseidon looked down at the floor, trying to hide the tears that have been threatening to burst out. He was beyond ashamed. But he was also nervous to how Percy would react. He had alreasy lost his beloved Sally, he could not bear to loose his first born child out of love, aswell.

Although he had sired children in the past, they were the product of either lust, deceit or Aphrodite's meddling. The love that Poseidon felt for Sally was genuine and true love. Poseidon loved his wife, Amphitrite, and his son, Triton, but not as strongly as he loved Percy and his mother.

That is why, as he grows, Percy's power will rival that of a god's. The pure love that his parents have for each other, is what makes Percy the most powerful child of the sea ever. Possibly the most powerful demigod of all time.

Apon hearing this news, Percy was grief stricken. His nightmare had come true. His mother really was gone. She had left him and he didn't know how. He want to punch something. He wanted to rip the world apart. If he is experiencing this, why shouldn't the rest of the world? How come only he should suffer. He should make everyone else suffer with him. Starting with those at fault.

Who had caused his mother's death? Whoever it was, he was going to make them suffer the most. They would beg for Tartarus before Percy is done with them. _But is it really their fault? If anyone it was his. _A small part of him said. **Huh?** Another asked.

_I mean, it is your fault that your mother died. You were not there to protect her. You were of in who knows where when your mother was in danger. You can not blame anybody but yourself. You should be the one experiencing Tartarus. You should be the one with Hades, not her_. The voice answered.

The other part of him was silent for awhile then said **Its right, you know. It is all your fault that she died. Some hero you are. You can't even protect the woman you vowed to to protect. **

Now that Perseus had thought of it, voices in his head were right. It was his fault that his mother died. He cauld not blame his father, for he could not have done anything. The laws forbid him.

He could not blame Chiron. It was his choice to come train with the centaur. He could not even blame Gabe. Even if Gabe tried to do something, which Percy highly doubted, he would not stand a chance.

It was all his fault. He bet that if he had not been born in the first place, then this would not have happened to his mother. Or if he could have been a better son, then Minos would not see the need to send him to Athens.

No one would want him. His father will not want him, Poseidon has Triton, a god that would bring honor to his father. Unlike Percy, who was a murderer in his eyes. Chiron doesn't want him. The only reason why his training ended alot earlier than other heroes was because he sucks at being one. Even Chiron gave up on him and decided to send him home and out of Chiron's hair.

Icarus, Grover and Malcolm doesn't want him. The three took pity in him, so they befriended him. And Gabe had made it clear over the years that he did not want him. It would be better for everyone if he were gone.

He was just about to come to a conclusion when Rachel's voice rang in has head, _"__**Do not be overcome by grief and depression. Do not be blinded by revenge and put the blame on innocent people. But most of all do not blame yourself for it is not your fault. Let go of the pain. Do not burden yourself with it. Every demigod has a fatal flaw. Yours it loyalty so I have no doubt that you will place all the blame on yourself."**_

Poseidon watched closely while Percy had his internal debate. At first his face was full of grief. His body started to tremble and tears started leaking out. But it suddenly changed to a look of fury and hatred. He stopped shedding tears, and was causing yet another earthquake.

Poseidon was about to tell his son to calm down, but as soon as the anger came it went. Instead, it was replced by look of realisation, as if he had come to terms with something. But under the realisation, Poseidon saw the look of defeat and surrender.

But again, it was replaced by a look of conflict. As if Percy was debating with someone in his head.

If it had been any other time, Poseidon would have laughed. Percy's sudden mood changes were so similar to his own and the ocean. That seas are ever changing, at one moment they are peaceful and calm. The next moment, they are violent and unmerciful.

In his head, Percy was still debating on what to do. _Easy, seek revenge on who killed her. Don't stop until every single one of them is dead. _Apart of him said.

**No! Kill yourself. Nobody wants you. And its your fault in the first place, why should you live if she is dead. **Another part of him said.

_**No! It isn't! Don't do anything rash. It is not your fault. Let go, Perseus. Learn to forgive. **_Another voice said. It was not his voice, it was foreign, but familiar.

Having come to a decision, he stood up.

After awhile of an expression of conflict, Perseus' face settled on understanding. Poseidon saw the outside of the internal battle, but he could not tell what his son has decided.

Perseus stood up, and Poseidon waited for his son's decision. He would accept it, regardless of what it might be.

Slowly Perseus walked towards his father, confident that what he decided is the right choice.


	5. Revenge and Regrets, Gifts and Graduates

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hey guyz I'm back! A few announcements before we start:**_

_**1. Thank you all so much for following, faving, reviewing and just taking the time to read my story.**_

_**2. I am so sorry I was unable to update sooner, and unfortunately, I will not be able to do so again for the next two weeks due to exams.**_

_**3. I have a poll set up concerning when Artemis will make her appearance, so please check it out and tell me whether you want her to come in sooner or later. **_

_**4. Some of you have been asking questions and I hate to leave you in total darkness. So I have answered some of your questions to a degree where I won't be revealing too much of the plot.**_

_**Q & A:**_

_**Q: When is the Pertemis coming?**_

_**A: It depends on when Artemis come in. If you want her to come soon, go visit the poll or review. **_

_**Q: Will this lead to the books in the future?**_

_**A: As some of you may have already guessed, yes, it will lead to the future. With some major plot differences of course. **_

_**Q: Are you a fan of Harry Potter? ( I assume your referring to Percy's Wolf's name)**_

_**A: Although I am a fan of Harry Potter, I did not get Sirius' name from there. There are some legends that say that Orion had two hunting dogs that accompanied him, and one of them was named Sirius.**_

_**So there you go. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**_

_**~Halvax**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**_

* * *

_**Earth's Champion: Humble Beginnings**_

_**Chapter 4: Regrets and Revenge, Gifts and Graduates**_

**Percy's POV**

Having an internal battle with yourself and an oracle is a weird experience. Your pulled in different directions, it's hard to tell which is the right decision. One side of me wanted revenge, another wanted to die and the foreign part, the oracle part, wanted to me to forgive.

All the arguing with myself causes one Hades of a headache. But now, I am sure of my decision.

I slowly stood up and shakily walked over to my dad. I could see the regret and grief in his eyes. There was a hint of anger as well. I am not sure who its at, probably me.

I walked up to him and gave him a big hug. He was tense at first, as if he didn't expect it. But he quickly got over his shock and hugged me back, twice as hard. I don't know if it is out of love or pity. I don't care. It felt good to be able to hug my dad with my mom gone.

No. She is not gone. I am going to train. Train harder until I am ready. I am going to go to Hades and get my mom back. I do not know how long it will take. But I will wait. Wait until I know that I am strong enough.

My decision was made. I will hunt down those that caused this, and see that justice is served. I know my dad did what he could. It's not his fault that Zeus made that stupid law that he himself doesn't follow.

My dad was now kneeling before me and crying on my shoulders, as I was on his. He was apologising over and over again for not being there. For not being the father that I deserved. "It's alright dad, it wasn't your fault. If anyone, I should take the blame. You had the laws to abide by, while nothing was holding me back. It was my fault for not being there for her." I said in between sniffles

"But I am going to set it right. I will hunt down those responsible. Then, I will get her back." I said with determination. My father looked into my eyes, green on green. He seemed to be contemplating over what I said.

"I will not try to stop you." He said. It caught me of guard. I was sure that he was going to go all protective on me. Either that or vaporise me on the spot for not being there for my mom. The surprise on my face must have been evident, as he continued, "But..."

Great, here comes the part where he disowns me for being a failure. But what he said was completely the opposite of what I expected. He asked a simple question that made me rethink my whole resolve.

"But, what do you think your mother would want you to do?" He asked seriously but softly.

What would my mother want? She would want me to avenge her right? I voiced this to my father. To which he answered, "Are you sure? Do you remember the time that Gabe hit her?" He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth at the memory he was probably reliving. I knew that somewhere on the seas, a ship just sunk.

I knew what he was talking about. When I was around 4, Gabe came home one night, more drunk than ever. He crashed on the bed without even acknowledging my mother nor my presence, not that he ever did.

But usually he wound mumble about how I was worthless and how he couldn't believe that I was his son. This time he just crashed on the bed.

When morning came, a messenger came at the door saying that the king of Athens requested his son's presence at his court immediately, failure to do so, would mean grave consiquences for him.

I for one was glad about this. With Gabe being in the state that he was in, we couldn't possibly tell a goat from a god. Muchless think straight and go to his father's court. Gabe would surely get punished and that was always fun to watch.

But being my mother's son, I did feel sympathy for him. More importantly, I felt sympathy for my mom. If Gabe got punished, he would take my anger out on my mom. And I would never let that happened, if I can help it.

I made a deal with my 'father' to accept any form of punishment that he has in store for her. The only reason he complied was becaused I reasoned that my mother would be a better slave if she was in tip top shape.

Although it was not the best solution, it meant that my mother would stay out of harm's way. But if the king were to punish Gabe, I don't know if he will hold up his part of the bargain.

It appears my mom felt bad for him too, since she rushed to their room to wake him up. After five minutes of unsuccessfully trying to wake him up by whispering soothing words, she tried to wake him up with force. Not a good idea.

It worked. But when he got up, he was beyond pissed. I remember him shouting and screaming. By the time my mom had finally got him to calm down and out of the castle and to his father, we were both broken and battered.

I tried to stop him, I really did, but all he did was toss me aside. And continue beating my mother. I never gave up on trying to stop him, but nothing seemed to work. But being the strong woman she was, she never shed a tear. I know now that she was trying to be strong for the both of us, but back then I was too angry to notice the slight hints she was giving me to stay quiet.

I remember saying something along the lines of killing him for what he did. But as usual she will tell me that he isn't worth it. She would also tell me that revenge was never the way to go. She made me promise that if something were to ever happened to her, I would not go on a mindless killing spree.

"Percy, as you grow older, you are going to gain more power. People are going to try to use you then betray you. They will try to hurt you both physically and and emotionally. Not only you, they are also going to try to hurt the people you care about. But they will only succeed if you give them what they want. They will want to break you, they want you to wallow in self pity and become a revenge seeking maniac. Don't give them the satisfaction of winning. You are better than that. Promise me that you won't do that." She said.

I looked at her serious face with a look of bewilderment on mine. There she was, the woman who was hurt and bleeding, but she was standing up for the man who caused it. What's more, is that she won't allow me to get revenge.

She understood what was going on in my mind and explained,"Percy, those people who will hurt you, will have some reason why they chose that path in life. Something must have happened to them in the past to make them who they are. But even they have family, people who care about them. Would you want to be the one who made them sad?" I slowly shook my head and sighed. Even then, I understood.

"I promise to try my best." I said. She smiled, kissed my forehead, hugged me then ruffled my hair. "Thank you Percy. Now come on. We have to get you bandaged up." She said, always thinking about other's well being, before her own

I turned back to my father and sighed. I knew that he was right, my mom would never approve of what I intended to do. But now that he brought up the memory, I am more confused than ever. No matter, I'll cross that bridge when I get there, assuming I even make it.

"What happened to her dad? Who did it." I asked. As if right on cue, Sirius walked through the door with some sort of chain in his mouth. He stopped in front of me and offered the chain.

I took the chain that was dripping with wolf saliva, not that I cared, and examinded it. It was ocean blue with intricate wave like patterns on it. I have never seen anything like this, and I have been all over Greece.

I looked at Chiron who shook his head. But my dad had a look of realisation. Then anger. His usual carefree, happy, calm demeanor, was replaced with that of a stormy rage.

Confused, I asked, "What's wrong dad? Do you know what chain this is?"

"Yes Perseus, this chain is made of something called Atlanian Coral. It is similar to celestial bronze, the metal that Harpe is made of, but with some other properties. For one, it is stronger than celestial bronze in a sense.

It cannot be broken by anything except Atlantian Coral itself. However, if the weilder is a child of the sea, like you, it will break, regardless of what your weapon is made of. It can also harm mortal and immortal, alike. It is extremely rare and only a few people know of it's existance. The enemy, who ever it is, both strong and cunning. We cannot let our guard down." Poseidon explained.

"So what do you think did it, dad? God, demigod, human, nymph, satyr? What?" I asked, getting slightly frustrated. We didn't even know what the enemy was.

After some thought, he finally said, "I am not sure, son. It could not have been a god, though. For one, we are not allowed to interfer with mortal affairs. Second, my blessing will prevent a god from ever harming her, directly. However, that doesn't mean that they can't get someone to do it for them. It could be a demigod, human or some nature spirit."

"Alright. So how exactly was she...you know..." My voice faltered, tears threatening to spill, but I kept up my emotionless mask, as best I could.

"Before I sent Prince Gabriel to my older brother, he told me that about a week ago, when he came back from wherever he was, he just found her dead. She was in the kitchen, probably making pastries. He said that there was a fight as there were two other men who were knocked unconsious, aside from her dead body. They chained her down, tortured her, then ended her. Then they left after unchaining her, and leaving the two unconsious." He said, barely able to hold his tears back.

I could tell that he was not comfortable with showing any form of weakness. Especially in front of me. I pulled him into another hug and we comforted each other for what seemed like hours. We let out our tears, not caring who sees. We grieved for my mother who was an amazing woman. It is true what they say, that the good die young.

Sometime in the middle of our grieving session, Chiron slipped out with Sirius to give us some privacy. After my eyes were too dry to cry, I asked my father to tell me about her. Chiron always said that talking eases the pain.

My dad told me about how she was the queen among all women. And how he would have made her his queen if only Zeus had not intervened. He told me of how they met and fell in love. Their favourite things to do together. And how he always kept an eye on the both of us.

I also told him of how my mom would talk of him. Although at that time, I thought that she was talking about Smelly Gabe. I told him the stories that she used to tell me when I was sick or sad. How she would nurse me back to health and bandaged up the wounds that Gabe had given me. Although I would never tell her how I got them. It was better that way.

All in all, it felt good to be able to spend time with my dad. I felt happy that he was here with me when I need him most. I knew of the big risk that he was taking by just seeing me, and I was grateful that he cared. We talked well into the night. He was lying down on my bed, with me right on top of his chest. I held on to him tightly, afraid that he would disappear too.

After awhile, we both stopped talking, just enjoying each other's company. His rhythmic breathing, made his chest, and me, go up and down. It helped me to fall asleep. I dreamt about my mom and all the things I loved about her.

Her cookies and pancakes. Her warm and gentle laugh that always sends a wonderful feeling shoot through my body. Her hugs that she gave when I was feeling down. Her strories that she would share when I couldn't sleep. The lessons and advice that she would give me.

I figured even Morpheus pitied me, having dreams about her both eased yet increased the pain. While being able to see her and all the thing I loved about her was great, it also reminded me of the things I would never get to do with her, ever again.

But I could practically here her saying, _Now Perseus, what did I tell you about thinking negatively? Always think positively, there is always a light at the end of tunnel, focus on that. _

When Morpheus released me, which is to say that I woke up, I was sad to see that my dad was gone. But I wasn't surprised. As a god, he had duties to fulfil and seeing me was risky enough.

I slowly rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes, and sat up. After a few minutes of stretching, I headed to the living room. Chiron was there and Sirius was on the couch, they were both sleeping. Looking out of the window, I knew that would still be an hour or two before sunrise.

I let them both sleep and went to the kitchen. I got the ingredients to my mom's specialty, blue colored pancakes. Blue food was her way of showing rebelion. Gabe always said that there was no such thing, so she went out of her way to create them.

It had been five years since I last made these with my mom, but how hard could it be, right?

I might as well have been trying to save the world from an ominous foe. Defeating those to cyclops back then would have been a walk in the park compared to making these pastries. By the time I was done, the kitchen looked like a hurricane came through the area, right after my father caused his strongest earthquake ever.

Needless to say, my mom would have blown her top off, if she were still here. I sigh. Just thinking about her, made me want to cry an ocean. But I am going to try my best and move on, just like I promised to her, all those years back.

I shed a few tears, but who can blame me? I just lost the most important woman in my life.

I took ages just to make a dozen of these things. From now on, I stick to eating them. The sun was present in the sky now. "Perseus! Perseus! Where are you?" Chiron called. "In the kitchen Chiron." I call back.

"Di Immortales, what happened here?" He exclaimed as he and Sirius walked in. I sigh. "I was making breakfast. And unfortunately, we're all out of meat, so Sirius will have to hunt for his food." Sirius' ears perked up when he heard the word hunt.

"How do you propose we clean up this mess Perseus?" He asked. "Well, seeing as you know about my parentage, simple." I walked over to the barrel my father had gived my mom a few years back. It was enchanted to that it would always be full of water. It would never run out, nor dry out.

I waved my hands, I felt a familiar tug in my gut, and drew water out from it, by the gallons. I flooded the room with water, cleaning the mess I made. But I made sure to create an air bubble around Chiron and Sirius. I also kept the fruits of my hard labour, the pancakes, dry. After a few seconds, the room was spotless. I made the water disappear, with another hand gesture.

I can transform the water's state, so that it was now gas instead of liquid. But unfortunately, I can't do it vise versa. Meaning, I can only transform it when it is a liquid. From there, I can will it to become solid or gas. But if it starts out as a solid or gas, I have no control over it as of now.

My father said he will teach me, sooner or later.

Chiron looked at me in awe and amazement. "I have never seen that happened before. Never have I seen a demigod have that much control over his godly parent's domain. Not even a child of Zeus has managed to create a single lightning bolt, without at least being winded by the effort. Sure, they have extra ordinary reflexes, but that has always been it."

I shrugged in indiffernce. But inside, I was bubbling in pride. Chiron hardly gives out praises, so I took everyone I can get.

I sent Sirius out to hunt. I've trained him to always return to me when I whistle. So I wasn't too worried.

We ate in silence after Chiron complemented me about the pancakes. At least my effort did not go to waste. Halfway through the meal, Chiron asked, "So Perseus, what are you going to do now?"

"I am going to continue as planned and go back to Crete. I am however, going to drop by Sparta first, instead of boarding a boat to Crete from here. Then, I guess I am going to work for my grandfather." I said.

Chiron's face turned dark. He said with a serious tone, "Listen Perseus, you have to beware of your grandfather. He is a very greedy man, and will do anything for power. He won't hesitate to rid the world of his enemies regardless of who they are.

You do not want him as an enemy. But do not just follow his orders blindly. You have a good heart Perseus. Don't let him corrupt it. Gain his favour and his trust, and he will learn to listen to you. But do not do anything rash.

Daedalus told me that King Minos has been looking for a good reason to attack Athens. Apparently, he sees it as a threat. He just needs a good enough reason to attack, so that he will be portrayed as a victim.

The death of your mother might be a good enough reason, but I cannot be sure. But what I am sure of is that, should a war between Crete and Athens arise, it will be a slaughter fest. Crete's soldiers are better trained and out number the Athenians four to one.

The gods will also choose sides. Zeus will most likely help Minos out, despite Athena being his favourite. Poseidon will also favour Crete, as he has that grudge with Athena. Along with Apollo and Hermes. The Athenians of course, will receive Athena's help. Along with Artemis, Dionysus, Ares, Aphrodite and Hepheastus. Hera and Demeter probably remaining neutral."

"But the Athenians have six gods on their side while Crete only has four." I said confused. Unless my math was wrong, while it usually is, even I know six is more than four.

"Yes that is true. But the Cretans have two of the Big Three. And no matter how good a strategist Athena is, she can't change the fact that her troops are inferior to that of Minos'. What's more, Daedalus is on the Cretan's side. He too is a master strategist. His intelligence is only second to that of Athena herself. And he is not lagging by much." He explained.

I nodded. "Is there anyway of preventing it?" I asked hopefully. "I honestly do not know, young Perseus." He said while shaking his head. This is one of the few rare moments that Chiron does not have an answer to my question.

"Well, how long do we have?" I asked. "If King Minos were to use your mother's death as a reason, I would say at least three months, once he gets word. He will need that much time to gather his allies and march to Athens. But if he does not, then, three months after he finds a good enough reason. And only the gods know when that is. But he will bide his time." He said after some thought.

I made a promise then and there that I would do all I can to stop this blood bath, even if it means death. Wanting to change the subject, I asked, "So how about you, Chiron? What will you be doing now that I'm out of your hair?"

"I will stay here, to look for someone else who wants to become a hero. If I do not find anyone, then, I will move around Greece, starting with Argos. I have some business that I have to attend to there. But I will make sure to come visit you. I might even take my new pupil see the famous Orion of Crete." He said with pride.

Over the past couple of months, my popularity has grown even more. I was now known all over Greece. Even Heracles knew me. We met last month when Chiron and I was passing by Arcadia. Apparently, he was sent to finish of the remaining Stymphalian birds, that I had not killed.

I told Chiron to keep it a secret between the two of us. I always kept the deeds that I accomplish using my inherited powers a secret. People might get suspicious, and it will just complicate things. Besides, I don't really care if I am in the limelight of not.

I do not like Heracles, to put it in a nice way. It's not that I am jelous or anything. But he wasn't exactly what I expected. The guy was my hero, I idolised him and wanted to become like him someday.

Now, I don't think so. He was an arrogant, self centered jerk, who only cared about himself. All he talked about was how great he was. And all the things he has done. I have to admit that they were all amazing, but he did it for fame, glory and to gain immortality. Not to help others.

Anyway, I am seen as Chiron's prodigy as I am the youngest he has ever accepted, and now completed his training. The training was taxing, torturous, and a living Hades, but I will miss my mentor. He has been my second father over the years, and we've grown attached to each other.

"I will truly miss you, Chiron. Thank you for all the things that you have taught me. I will keep them in my heart and do my best to honor them. You have given me so much, but have asked for so little. Someday, I will find a way to repay you for all you have done for me." I said, with a lone tear, escaping my eyes. I rush forward to give the old centaur a hug.

He hugged back and said, "I will miss you too, Percy. And you do not have to thank or repay me. It is my duty and I am honored to have taught such a fantanstic student. All I ask in return is that you respect the gods and do not stray of the path of good, no matter how tempting it may seem."

I nodded and said,"I promise Chiron." As we broke apart, Sirius, who had just come back from his hunt, tackled me to the ground.

He kept licking my face until not an inch was left dry. Chuckling, I said in between the the licks, "Alright boy... I love you too... But could you... Please get off? Your heavy." I finally pushed him off me and stood up, my face covered in wolf slobber.

I gave Chiron a half hearted glare, who was failing to surpress a chuckle. "I am going to bathe, then get going, I have a lot of ground to cover if I want to get to Sparta within three weeks." I said while making my way to the bathroom.

After my shower, I was about to head to the living room when I noticed something shiny on one of the previously empty shelves. Curious, I went towards it.

There was a note that said:

_To my dear Perseus,_

_I am sorry I was not able to give you your present yesterday, let alone greet you. So belated happy birthday. _

_Attached with this note is a necklace that has a pendant of a shield bearing my symbol, a trident. When you pull this pendant, it will turn into armour made of celestial bronze mixed with mortal steel and Atlantian Coral. I hope it protects you in the battles ahead. _

_I am also giving you access to the money that your mother has saved up for you. It has a few thousand drachma in it, so use it wisely. _

_I will see you again soon son. Until then, always know that both me and your mother have been so proud of you. We could never ask for a better son and we love you. If you ever need help, come to the sea._

_Poseidon_

Along with the note was a neacklace that had the pendant that my father described. I put it on and pulled on it. Sure enough, an ocean blue armour now surrounded me. The chest plate bore a trident that was surrounded by wave like patterns. I had a classic helmet that a normal soldier would have.

My sword also had a new ocean blue sheath fitted unto the belt that matched the armour. Lastly, there was a blue circular object made of some sort of metal. It looked like a drachma except abit bigger and had a trident on both sides of it. I have absolutely no idea what it was.

I turned to Chiron to see if he knew. For the second time today, he was dumbstruck. He told me to either ask my dad or Daedalus, when I get to Crete. I nodded my thanks.

I made sure to get everything that I needed. My sword, my my new armour and the strange looking coin.

"I hope to see you soon, Chiron." I faced the old horse. We were both getting abit misty eyed. "Of course, my boy. Iris Message me anytime you need help. That reminds me..." He said and pulled out a dagger and handed it to me.

The dagger was barely two feet long. The blade was made of silver. The hilt was made of fine leather that fit comfortably in my hand. The pommel had a sapphire in it. Along the length of the silver blade, was my name, Perseus, in greek.

I turned to Chiron and was about to ask why my real name was there, but he said, "I know that your identity is a secret Perseus. Originally, the name Orion was there, since I thought that was your name. But last night, I enchanted it to say Perseus to whoever knows your real identity. To the rest, it will say Orion."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I really wanted the dagger, but if my real name was there, I could never accept it. "Thank you so much for everything Chiron. I'm sorry I never got you a present." I said sheepishly.

He let out a deep chuckle and said, "No need my boy, no need. We must get going now, it is almost noon. I will visit you in crete within the year." After once last hug and a few shed tears on my part we seperated. Him to the Athenian Castle and me, towards Sparta.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Please remember to visit the poll on my profile. Peace!**_


	6. Duels and Decisions

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Wuz up people! With exam week coming to a close soon, I am to post my next chapter. I feel pretty confident about my exams and am now able to take a well deserved break. Rest assured that I will still be writing during this time. **_

_**However I am also preoccupied with reading other fandoms that have captured my interest. Mainly Harry Potter and Naruto. I have been a fan of these works for a long time but have never really gotten to venture into reading their fandoms. Although I would love to write a story on one of them, I feel that I do not have enough knowledge to be able to do so accurately. **_

_**But my main and favorite fandom is and will forever be, PJO. Speaking of which, the poll that I set up will be coming to a close soon, probably in a week's time, but it looks like more of you prefers me to go into detail and postpone Artemis and Percy's meeting. **_

_**If you agree or disagree, visit the poll and vote or leave a review. I always appreciate those. Thank you for taking your time to read my story and tell me what you think about it. Enjoy!**_

_**~Halvax**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. All rights go to Mr. Rick Riordan, this is nonprofitable and is the result of an idea that I have had for a while now, and wanted to share it with my fellow fans. **_

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**Earth's Champion: Humble Beginning**

**Chapter Five: Duels and Decisions**

**Third Person's POV**

As Perseus and Sirius walked around Sparta, Percy noticed that there were some minor differences between now and the last time he was here. For one, there were less people minding their business in the streets.

The streets used to be buzzling with activity, be it women bargaining with the market vendors, trying to get their dinner for a cheaper price, or men trying to settle their arguments, resulting in the occasional street brawl. But now, there was barely anyone here. The merriment and joy that the people held were replaced by cautious glares and were giving off mistrusting auras.

Puzzled by this, Percy decided to investigate. He walked to the nearest tavern, where he deemed would be the best place to get information. While keeping his head down, he slowly made his way to the bar, subtly looking around to take note of his surroundings.

Percy was able to hitch a ride on a boat by paying with the money that his mother had left him that was buried in the backyard. Sirius was able to find it while Percy had his little outburst with Gabe. Armed with Harpe, his new dagger, the clothes on his back and his small fortune, he travelled to Sparta and arrived after a little over 3 months.

Ordering a random drink as the bar tender came to ask what he wanted, he took one final glance around the room to make sure that there was no sign of any eavesdroppers. Satisfied, he turned to the person next to him, the only other one on the bar.

The man had a cloak over his head, that covered his eyes. But he had a short white scar on his top lip and a trimmed beard that was visible. The man was slightly drunk, if the the two mugs infront of him which had the distinct smell of alcohol, was any indication.

Trying to start a light conversation, Percy asked about mundane things, the way Chiron did when he want to get information. The sea prince had seen his mentor do it a few times during their travels, whether it was out of general curiosity or because he was on a job for the gods.

The two had started off pretty well, Percy telling the man about some of his less dangerous and boring quests. In return, he found out the man was one of the higher ranking soldiers in the army.

Feeling that he had opened up the atmosphere a bit, "Do you know why there is a sudden change of the people's mood around here?" Percy asked discreetly while keeping his eyes on his drink. Under the hood, the man raised a curious eyebrow. He turned to face the boy beside him, mildly surprised with the sudden change of topic, but answered none the less.

"I don't know how you don't know about the rumors, you have to be careful. I heard the higher ups in the army talking about them once." The man said.

"What rumors?" Percy asked curiously. "You really don't know about the rumors?" The man asked with a raised eyebrow. After getting a nod, he signaled for Percy to come closer and he continued, "Tensions are high kid. Rumours have it that one of King Minos of Crete's daughter was murdered by an Athenian. They're saying that the king is enraged, and it's only a matter of time before he openly declares war.

"Proof or none, Minos is said to be rallying his troops and allies. The shaky treaty that the two cities shared, is sure to be broken once the news is confirmed. The other major cities will also have to take sides. And with Sparta owing a favor to Crete, people are either storing up for war or evacuating the city and to the mountains." the man paused to down the rest of his drink.

_So Chiron was right, there is going to be war. Things are going much faster than I thought. I have to get to Crete soon. _But before Percy's musings could continue, the man continued, "King Minos is even coming here a few months from now for a supposed friendly visit. But anyone with a brain knows that he's here to claim that favor was owed to him."

Percy perked up upon hearing this, but he did his best to hide his excitement. "Really? What exactly will he be doing here?"

"Well, there's suppose to be this big tournament to see who was the best warrior who has attended the Agoge. After that, a big banquet is to be held in honor of Crete's and Sparta's alliance." The man answered.

"This tournament, how does it work?" Percy asked. "Why are you asking boy? Even if you do enter, there will be a high chance of you dying. Most of the competitors will be senior Agoge student who are probably twice your age, size and strength. You have no chance of winning." The man scoffed.

Percy shrugged and said, "Just curious, that's all." The man once again raised his brow under his hood, but answered the question anyway. "The tournament works the same way as any. Competitors will be randomly placed into different 8 different groups. Only the top two in each group will move on.

"From there, the remaining participants will again be randomly be chosen to go against one another until there is only one left. All weapons are permitted, enchanted or not. Foul play is encouraged for the benefit of the crowd and killing is more than welcome. The winner is allowed a private audience with the kings so that he can ask for his prize."

"Thank you, sir." Percy said and gave a small bow to the man. He quickly swallowed the rest of his drink and left the pay for it and a generous tip. He jumped down from the bar stool and started to make his way to the exit. "Wait boy." The man called after Percy.

Percy stopped and gave the man a questioning glance. "What's your name." The man inquired. Given that the man answered all his questions, Percy sighed and answered, "They call me Orion of Crete."

_**{~*~*~*Linebreak*~*~*~}**_

Once again out on the streets, Percy tried to gather his thoughts and come up with a decision on what his next move was going to be. On the one hand, he could go straight to Crete now and talk with his grandfather about postponing the war until he could come up with a way to stop it permanently.

On the other hand, he could stay here for the months and wait for Minos to come here. He could use the time to train and win the tournament. By his caculations, he should be able to defeat anyone his age until around 13. His problem would come with the bigger sized opponents. His speed would be his only advantage against them. And even that was not a guarantee.

Unconsciously, Percy was making his way to the all too familiar arena. Deciding that he would make his decision later, Percy looked around to find out where his feet brought him while he was zoned out.

_At least somethings never changed, _Percy mused. Indeed, the arena was the same. Same people on the bleachers watching the matches that were going on in one side. And the center being filled with Agoge students ranging from 7-16.

Percy slowly made his way towards the middle, taking his time to analyse his would be opponents, should he decide to take part in the tournament. Judging from the many practice spars that were going on, Percy concluded that his assumptions were right about the children his age being little to no match for him.

However, much to his disappointment, the older kids were having a break, so he could not compare his ability with theirs. Continuing with his assessment on his age group's skills, his eyes finally spotted the two people he was looking for. Grover and Malcolm. Percy slowly and silently made his way toward them.

The two boys being too engrossed with their spar, did not notice Percy's advance on them. Taking in a deep breath, Percy yelled, "Hey guys! D'you miss me?" On pure instinct, the two boys turned their sword and prepared to strike down the one the caught them by surprise.

Expecting this reaction, Percy quickly drew his own sword and parried both of their blades with a smirk. "Now, now. Is that how Spartan great their long lost best friend?" Percy chided playfully.

Still trying to recover from their initial shock, both boys slowly sheathed their weapons. While Grover just stared wide eyed at Percy, Malcolm was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, trying to form words, though the action only succeeded in making him look like a fish.

Seeing their expressions, Percy struggled and failed to hold in his chuckles. Before long, he was throwing his head back in laughter. Malcolm, who by now had composed himself enough to speak, glared at Percy and said, "What's so funny, Kelp head?"

"Just your expressions, Brain boy. They were priceless! You should have seen them." Percy said while exploding into another fit of laughter.

Getting over his shock, and always the peacemaker, Grover cut in before the two boys could continue their argument, "I guess they were pretty funny. But wouldn't you have the same reaction if you were in our position?"

Seeing his point, Percy gave his best friends an apologetic look and said, "Yeah, I guess so. But the opportunity was just too good to pass up." Rubbing the back of his head and a sheepish smile on his face, the sea prince waited for the two older boys' replies.

Malcolm's earlier anger had dissipitated and let out a sigh and a smile also appeared on his face. "So what brings you back to Sparta? Didn't you hear about the upcoming war?" he said, wanting to change the topic.

"I'll tell you guys about that later. You're still training right? And I don't think that the trainers will take it too nicely if their star pupils were slacking of because of little old me." Percy said teasingly.

Malcolm rolled his eyes and answered, "Star pupils, my xiphos. Lysandor has all but glued the trainers' eyes on him. They barely pay attention to their other pupils, because they believe that who ever Lysandor deems the best teacher, will be greatly blessed by Ares."

"Yeah. The other kids are suffering because of this. Since Lagos was ordered by the king to help in the war preparations, the new chief trainer neglected the weaker ones and is focusing on perfecting the better ones' techniques. Malcolm and I don't have a problem with this thanks to the training you gave us, but if the others were sent to war the way they are now, they'll get slaughtered." Grover added with a resigned sigh.

Thinking back on his earlier observations, and looking more closely at the spars going on in the arena, Percy had to agree. The boys' timings were off, their technique was horrible, their strikes were weak and their defenses had so many weakness that a blind and lame man could get throughout it.

Percy frowned. Grover was right, the kids wouldn't last two second on a battle field of experienced soldiers. Though the Cretan army was supposed to be huge, a whole could only be as strong as its weakest link.

"Have you tried talking to the chief trainer? I'm sure he'll clear up the misunderstanding right?" Percy suggested.

Malcolm gave out a snort, "Clear up the misunderstanding? Clear up the misunderstanding? Don't you thing we've tried that Perce? No, he didn't 'clear up the misunderstanding', instead, he punished us for 'questioning his methods'. He made us go hunting in the deep part of the woods, forbidding us from hunting in the safer parts.

He also made us run laps around the city until we begged for forgiveness. And when we did, he kept us polishing and sharpening swords until he could see his hideous reflection in it, and the blade was sharp enough to cut a rock."

Percy could feel his anger rising deep in his gut. Though he was trying to prevent this war, he could not allow soldiers to be sent into battle unprepared, should he fail in his self given mission.

The small tremor he felt he was causing, forced Percy to calm down. Small as it had been, the others around him did not notice. But his two friends did. "Was that you Perce?" Grover asked wearily.

"Uhm... Yeah. With my father being named the earth shaker, I discovered that I also have slight power over it. And with my constant training with it, they've been growing stronger." Percy answered in a barely audible whisper.

Malcolm was about to answer when a gruff and obviously angry voice shouted behind them, "Keep practicing you lazy-good for nothing wannabe scums! I don't come here to teach students who don't appreciate the lessons that I give! Look at Lysandor. Always working hard and the best at everything. You would do good to follow him. Maybe, just maybe, an ounce of his greatness would be passed down to you. You better pray to the gods that that happens or else you'll get slaughtered in the war! So get back to work!"

Percy's barely controlled rage started increasing with every word that came out of the man's mouth. The said man was short and fat. He had three stubs on his head, that he seemed to consider hair.

"You don't teach at all, from what I've heard. Instead of worshiping your so called great Lysandor, in a sorry attempt to please the gods, how about you actually do your job so that your students won't get slaughtered!" Percy yelled. He was struggling to keep his powers at bay.

The man narrowed his eyes at Percy, scrutinizing the boy who he had never seen before. "Who are you, and how dare you question me?" He demanded. The man sent his best glare at the boy with sea green eyes, but he did not show his disappointment when the boy did not even flinch.

Percy stood his ground and met the man's glare with one of his own. "My name is not important here. What is important, is that you are not helping my friends train properly for the war. And I can't just let that happened." Percy said with conviction.

"How dare you question me, boy?! You will pay for your insolence! Lysandor!" The man shouted, outraged at the boy's attitude infront of him. When Lysandor's name was called, the recently gathered crowd of soon to be soldiers, parted, making way for the smug looking son of Ares.

"You called Sir Artorius? Do you need me to put some wimp in his place or something?" Lysandor asked, not noticing Percy or the glares that were being sent his way.

"As a matter of fact, I do. This boy dares to question my authority. I need you to knock him around abit, to make him admit that he was wrong and beg for my forgiveness." The man now known as Artorius ordered.

"With pleasure. Where is he?" Lysandor asked while cracking his knuckles in anticipation of being able to show the others in his class again why he was the war god's favorite son.

Having enough of not being noticed by Lysandor due to his small frame and height, Percy stepped forward with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Lysandor may have gained some muscle since they last met, but his brain remained the size of a walnut.

Lysandor finally noticed Percy, and couldn't help but feel that the boy seemed very familiar. But the son of Ares, dismissed the thought, believing it wasn't important. "He doesn't look like much to me." Lysandor said.

Percy raised an eyebrow at Lysandor's impression of him. He thought that Lysandor would have remembered the beat down he got a few months back. Instead of answering, Percy drew his sword and got into his usual batte stance.

He still had little to no chance of defeating Lysandor in hand to hand combat due to older boy's superior strength.

Smirking, Lysandor drew his own sword, not even bothering to asses his opponent, and charged. Percy immediately prepared to defend from the onslaught of attacks he was about to get.

Ducking and dodging from the first few strikes that came his way, Percy mildly took note that Lyasandor's speed has increased since they last fought. Deciding to test the strength of the slashes thrown his way, Percy started cautiously parrying and countering his opponent's blade.

Not surprisingly, his attack's strength increased as well. After a decent enough warm up, Percy decided to kick things up a notch. He suddenly switched his stance and went on offensive. Lysandor, who was not expecting the sudden change in his opponnent's style, was forced into defensive.

The spectators of the spar, watched in wonder and amazement as the new comer delivered blow after blow on Artorius' golden boy. Artorius himself was shocked that a boy this young could be defeating Lysandor so effortlessly.

As the crowd cheered him on, Percy was setting up his final attack, a move he created himself. Lysandor gave another forward thrust, which the sea prince took full advantage of. Seeing his chance to and the match, Percy made his blade hit the base of Lysandor's, twisting his sword and putting all of his weight in a downward thrust.

Sure enough, it had the desired effect that Percy was expecting, the sword hit the stone floor with a satisfying _Clang. _Lysandor who was still trying process what had just happened, barely registered the sword that was being held at his neck.

The silence that had captured the arena when Percy disarmed Lysandor, was quickly replace by shouts of approval and celebration. Most of the crowd that had gathered were estatic that Lysandor had finally been beaten.

There was one however, that was seething in rage. Sir Artorius. "Quiet!" the plump chief trainer ordered. But it fell on deaf ears. He subtly ordered the other trainers to help settle down the commotion. But even 20 trainers were no match for the dozens of trainees.

Having enough, "SILENCE!" Artorius ordered. The shouts slowly died down and turned into murmurs. Eventually, all conversation seized. "That is enough! You..." Artorius said, pointing a finger at Percy.

"I don't know how you did it, I don't know how you cheated, but you will apologize to Lysandor this instant." Artorius commanded.

Percy frowned. He was about to say something but Malcolm butted in. "I think you misunderstand, _Sir. _Orion won fare and square. With all due respect, _Sir, _mind you that there isn't much, but it is you who owes him an apology." His statement was supported by the courses of agreement made by the crowd.

The trainer's face morphed into one of pure fury. "How dare you?! Lysandor just went easy on the boy. He is after all five years younger and half his size. It was me who taught him to show mercy to an undeserving opponent."

Percy snorted and was about to make a retort when he was once again interrupted. This time, by Grover. "No offense, sir, but Per-ahem, I mean Orion would make a ten times better teacher." This was again followed by several nods from the students that Percy helped out a few months back.

"Since that's how you all feel, those agreeing with him, are hereby expelled. However, you are all still required to participate in the exams that all sixteen year olds are supposed to take. And, you are also required to help in the war. That is all. I better not see any of your faces here tomorrow." With that he turned to leave, followed by Lysandor and his goons.

Percy glared at his two best friends that had interfered, who both had the decency to look sheepish. Jogging to catch up, he said, "Woah, woah, woah. You can't just expell them. How are they supposed to train and learn? They're going to die the moment they step onto the battlefield if they don't have proper training."

"Well that's what you're there for. They seem to think that you are a way better instructor, so you teach them. I expect the arena to be cleared by sundown. Good luck, boy. You're going to need it." Artorius said, not pausing nor missing a beat.

Percy watched them leave in disbelief. How was he supposed to help these people when had his own goals to fulfill. When the group of trainers and students' finally left, Percy slowly turned around to face those who had landed him into this mess, with every intention to let them solve their own problems.

But as he took a careful look around at each individual's face, his resolve started to break. The group before him consisted of children ranging from around seven to thirteen. Though varying in age, they all had several things in common. They all had scrawny builds, malnutrished from the looks of it. Their armours were crooked and they held their shields and weapons awkwardly. Sure signs of improper training.

Yet they all had fire and determination in their eyes. They showed the desire to improve and to prove those who doubted them, wrong. He could tell that they were hard workers and were willing to follow if someone would take their time to teach them.

Sighing, Percy slowly made his way back to the group. Still trying to figure out how he could make everything work.

Taking a look at the group before him, he decided to keep silent to see how they would react. Chiron often did this to Percy, to see what he was feeling. That was another thing that the centaur taught him, to read emotions almost as easily as a satyr.

He could see that the crowd was feeling various things, worry, anticipation, fear. Finally, Malcolm couldn't stand the silence any longer. "So... Ion... Are you going to teach us?" The blond asked almost fearfully.

Percy settled into a thinking pose, pretending to weigh his options. He shrugged and said, "Ok." Malcolm took a deep breath, getting ready to argue that Percy should help them. With all the thoughts running in his mind, Malcolm almost missed the affirmative answer.

While the crowd let go a sigh of relief, Malcolm looked at Percy quizzically. "Huh?" He asked intelligently. "I said ok." Percy said slowly, as if he were talking to a two year old. He loved being able to catch the blond by surprise. Percy wasn't able to this often as Malcolm was practically a genius. So he enjoyed it all the more.

"I meant why?" Malcolm asked while rolling his eyes. "I don't know. And I won't be helping permanently. I have other things that I need to take care of. I'll do my best to teach you what I know, but after that, you'll have to help yourselves. So I'll meet everyone by the lake outside the city tomorrow, an hour before sunrise. Be there or your out." the sea prince answered and started to walk away.

_I experienced this kind of strictness from Chiron, and it worked on me, so why not on them?_ Percy thought.

After Percy left, the rest of the group continued to stare at the spot where he stood with a bewildered look. "Well... I guess we do as he says. Let's go home guys." Malcolm said awkwardly.

_**{~*~*~*Linebreak*~*~*~}**_

**The next morning...**

Two hours before sunrise, Percy excited the inn that he had stayed the night in. He did his usual morning workout and headed to the lake, where he had told the others to wait. He expected most to come late and not take things seriously. Those were the ones he needed to work on most.

Thinking that he was still early, Percy decided to walk slowly to his destination, trying to figure out how he was going to stop the war. The question had bothered him for most of the night and. He lay in his bed tossing and turning, trying to will the answer to come to him.

It did not help that he also had to think about what to teach the kids. Sighing in frustration, he finally came to the decision of calling Chiron.

**Flashback**

_"Oh Iris, great goddess of the rainbow hear my plea and show me Chiron." Percy chanted the line that his mother taught him long ago. It only took a few seconds for the mist to change into a projection of Chiron's face. _

_The centaur who was just about to head to sleep, was surprised to see the stressed look on his ex-apprentice's face, appear out of thin air. "Hello Perseus. How are you doing this fine evening?" He greeted. _

_"I was hoping to ask for advice. But in hindsight, I should have called in the morning. I can call again later if now's not a good time." Percy answered. Chiron frowned. He was not used to Percy looking so stressed. There was obviously something bothering him, Chiron thought._

_Another thing that caused the frown on the trainer's face was the seriousness of his student's tone. Percy was not the same loud, sarcastic and humorous nine year that he parted ways with. A lot changed over the three months with the boy's behavior. His mother's death did more damage on him that he let on. _

_Sighing at the boy's lack of youthfulness, he answered, "No, now's fine Percy. Go ahead."_

_So Percy went on and told his teacher of all the things that had transpired. When finished, the half human, gave yet another sigh. "It look like you've gotten yourself in another rough spot, eh Perseus. I'm glad to see that somethings don't change." Chiron said._

_Percy smiled. Over the time that the two spent with each other traveling, Percy's sense of humor rubbed off on his mentor, even if it was only a little. And Percy was proud of his little accomplishment. Even the great Hercules did not succeed in livening up Chiron's attitude. _

_"Well my boy, I do not know on whether you should stay until Minos comes or to seek him out yourself, but I do know that you should not waste your time while you are there. Help and train your friends and hone your own skills. _

_"I suggest that you stay for at least a month before deciding. See if they are able to cope without you. Since Daedalus is going there soon, you should go seek him out and ask for his opinion. _

_"And when you do get to Crete, go to Thirio Forest. It will be the perfect training ground for you. As for the Spartan's training, get some parchment and ink. I can help you get started on what you should help them on._

_"But you are on your own from there. I'm sorry I cannot offer you any more help." Chiron said. After writing down everything, Percy said, "It's alright Chiron. I appreciate your help. I certainly have much more than I started with, so thank you. I'll see you soon sir." He waved his hand over the mist to severe the connection. _

_**{~*~*~*Linebreak*~*~*~}**_

_**That's all people! Again thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review or fav and like, I love them. Also visit the poll on whether the two should meet sooner or later. See yah! ;)**_

_**~Halvax**_


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